Date Published:
Sep 17, 2004
Abstract:
Female participation in the Latin American paid labor force is increasing
dramatically. Building upon Fortes and Hoffman's (2003) model, we use occupational
data to measure gendered changes in Latin America's class structure
over the last two decades of economic restructuring and adjustment and to investigate
the causes and consequences of these regional patterns. Our results suggest
two important conclusions. First, economic adjustment and restructuring is
increasing women's parity with men in terms of class position largely as a consequence
of the deterioration of men's once-privileged location in the class structure.
Second, recent economic adjustment and restructuring has altered power
relations between social classes in Latin America in part because it has inspired
both qualitative and quantitative changes in the gendered composition of Latin
American labor. The number of women entering the workforce, and the labor
conditions suffered particularly by women workers, has resulted in both the literal
and figurative "emasculation" of the Formal Froletariat. These preliminary
findings make clear the explanatory benefits of including gender in analyses of
ehanges in the Latin American class structure.
Notes:
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