Sylvia Walby 
Patriarchy at Work 
Patriarchal and Capitalist Relations in Employment, 1800-1984

The concept of ‘patriarchy’ is one which signals a sharp divide
between traditions of feminist thought. Sylvia Walby attempts
to conceptualize ‘patriarchy’ in a way that takes account not only
of the complexity of relationships of gender, but also of the
subtleties of the interconnections of patriarchy and
capitalism.

She rejects those accounts which treat patriarchy as a unified set
of relations, or which confine the site of patriarchy to any one
privileged sphere such as the family. Instead, she elaborates
a novel view of patriarchy as a set of ‘relatively autonomous
relations’, the connections between which are spelled out through a
variety of detailed case studies. In contrast to many other
views of ‘capitalist patriarchy’, Sylvia Walby characterizes the
relationship between capitalism and patriarchy as a relationship,
not of harmony and mutual accommodation, but of tension and
conflict.

This thesis is substantiated through a comparative historical
analysis of three contrasting areas of employment: cotton textiles,
engineering and clerical work. These analyses show the shortcomings
of much conventional literature in sociology, history and economics
on women’s employment, which pays insufficient attention to the
independence of patriarchal relations. The book draws upon
sociological, historical, economic and geographic materials to
argue for an understanding of gender relations in terms of the
specific tensions and compromises between patriarchal and
capitalist relations. Exploring the impact of the state on
patterns of employment and unemployment completes a book rich in
theoretical and empirical analysis.

Patriarchy at Work will be recognized as a major
contribution to feminist thought and the social sciences.

Table of Content

List of Tables vi

Acknowledgements viii

1 Introduction 1

2 Theories of Gender Inequality: A Critique 5

3 Towards a New Theory of Patriarchy 50

4 Theories of Women and Paid Work 70

5 Gender Relations in Employment: 1800-1914 90

6 The Two Wars and Between: 1914-45 156

7 Post-War Progress? 202

8 Conclusion 243

Appendix I Women’s Membership of the Principal Trade Unions, 1870-1918 249

Appendix II Industrial and Employment Appeals Tribunals Affecting Women 258

Appendix III Main Statistical Sources 259

References 260

Index 282

About the author

Sylvia Walby has been involved in developing Women’s Studies courses nationally and in Europe, and is founding Director of Women’s Studies Research Centre at Lancaster. She is the author of several books.