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Setting a Trend: Feminisation of the Commercial Bank Sector in Sweden, 1864-1975

Holmberg, Kajsa LU and Stanfors, Maria LU (2009) In Business and Economic History On-Line 7.
Abstract
When Stockholms Enskilda Bank hired two women in 1864, it was
presumably the first bank in the world to do so. The fashion of
hiring women gradually spread, and bank telling became femaledominated.
We describe and analyze this process, identifying three
periods in the feminization of the Swedish commercial bank
sector. Economic, institutional, technological, and cultural factors
were all instrumental in feminization; their relative importance
varied over time. During our study period, banking went through
radical changes, bringing it closer to ―women’s work‖; thus,
feminization proceeded without radical changes in social norms or
views on female labor. The commercial bank sector’s loss of... (More)
When Stockholms Enskilda Bank hired two women in 1864, it was
presumably the first bank in the world to do so. The fashion of
hiring women gradually spread, and bank telling became femaledominated.
We describe and analyze this process, identifying three
periods in the feminization of the Swedish commercial bank
sector. Economic, institutional, technological, and cultural factors
were all instrumental in feminization; their relative importance
varied over time. During our study period, banking went through
radical changes, bringing it closer to ―women’s work‖; thus,
feminization proceeded without radical changes in social norms or
views on female labor. The commercial bank sector’s loss of status
as a male workplace began in the early twentieth century,
preceding feminization, rather than following it, and creating an
opening for women. Employers’ economic incentives were also
important in the feminization process; women made their
strongest advances during times when employers had strong
incentives to cut costs. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Business and Economic History On-Line
volume
7
project
Banken som arbetsmarknad. Feminisering av svenskt bankväsende under 1900-talet
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d2f4bf47-dce7-4e0d-a2cd-859def6efea3 (old id 1515400)
alternative location
https://thebhc.org/setting-trend-feminization-commercial-bank-sector-sweden-1864-1975-0
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 13:17:21
date last changed
2022-09-02 10:25:55
@article{d2f4bf47-dce7-4e0d-a2cd-859def6efea3,
  abstract     = {{When Stockholms Enskilda Bank hired two women in 1864, it was<br/>presumably the first bank in the world to do so. The fashion of<br/>hiring women gradually spread, and bank telling became femaledominated.<br/>We describe and analyze this process, identifying three<br/>periods in the feminization of the Swedish commercial bank<br/>sector. Economic, institutional, technological, and cultural factors<br/>were all instrumental in feminization; their relative importance<br/>varied over time. During our study period, banking went through<br/>radical changes, bringing it closer to ―women’s work‖; thus,<br/>feminization proceeded without radical changes in social norms or<br/>views on female labor. The commercial bank sector’s loss of status<br/>as a male workplace began in the early twentieth century,<br/>preceding feminization, rather than following it, and creating an<br/>opening for women. Employers’ economic incentives were also<br/>important in the feminization process; women made their<br/>strongest advances during times when employers had strong<br/>incentives to cut costs.}},
  author       = {{Holmberg, Kajsa and Stanfors, Maria}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  series       = {{Business and Economic History On-Line}},
  title        = {{Setting a Trend: Feminisation of the Commercial Bank Sector in Sweden, 1864-1975}},
  url          = {{https://thebhc.org/setting-trend-feminization-commercial-bank-sector-sweden-1864-1975-0}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}