Women's Work, Gender Conflict, and Labour Markets in Europe, 1500-1900

This article surveys the recent research on women's work in Europe between 1500 and 1900. It argues that despite changes in the structure of the European labour market during this period, the position of women within it exhibited remarkable continuity. The particular features of the gender division of labour were profoundly shaped by two intense periods of gender conflict both of which were instigated by male artisans driven by the need to maintain their patriarchal authority, and sustained by social and political action.