Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

A tale of 24 counties? Regional variation in female labour force participation in Sweden, 1870-1950

Clivemo, Hanne LU ; Stanfors, Maria LU and Önnerfors, Martin LU (2019) Economic History Society
Abstract
Female labor force participation increased significantly during the 20thcentury, not least in Sweden. In this paper, we investigate the importance of economic, demographic and sociocultural factors in the initial increase and growth of female labor force participationover the course of industrializationusing county-level data and panel regressions.There were important spatial differences across counties in the growth of women’s employment outside the home1870-1950. We showthatstructural factors (e.g. economic conditions and demographic characteristics) are important in explaining level differences between counties in the development of female labor force participation, net of cultural factors and unionization. Economic conditions do not... (More)
Female labor force participation increased significantly during the 20thcentury, not least in Sweden. In this paper, we investigate the importance of economic, demographic and sociocultural factors in the initial increase and growth of female labor force participationover the course of industrializationusing county-level data and panel regressions.There were important spatial differences across counties in the growth of women’s employment outside the home1870-1950. We showthatstructural factors (e.g. economic conditions and demographic characteristics) are important in explaining level differences between counties in the development of female labor force participation, net of cultural factors and unionization. Economic conditions do not seem to be as important in explaining changes in female labor force participation within counties over time when cultural differences and differences in unionization are accounted for. Sociocultural aspects of modernization and unionization were very important inthe increase in female labor force participation, both across and within counties.We argue that culture as well as geography are important, yet commonly neglected, parts of both the industrialization story and of the narrative into which we fit the increase in women’s paid work outside the home. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
conference name
Economic History Society
conference location
Belfast
conference dates
2019-04-05 - 2019-04-07
project
Manufacturing gender inequality
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
055ff4ee-d2e6-4281-9290-536aefbdef63
alternative location
http://www.ehs.org.uk/dotAsset/b161ff9c-984f-4c0c-9814-e7ce135de6a6.pdf
date added to LUP
2019-05-15 12:35:43
date last changed
2022-09-01 11:41:29
@misc{055ff4ee-d2e6-4281-9290-536aefbdef63,
  abstract     = {{Female labor force participation increased significantly during the 20thcentury, not least in Sweden. In this paper, we investigate the importance of economic, demographic and sociocultural factors in the initial increase and growth of female labor force participationover the course of industrializationusing county-level data and panel regressions.There were important spatial differences across counties in the growth of women’s employment outside the home1870-1950. We showthatstructural factors (e.g. economic conditions and demographic characteristics) are important in explaining level differences between counties in the development of female labor force participation, net of cultural factors and unionization. Economic conditions do not seem to be as important in explaining changes in female labor force participation within counties over time when cultural differences and differences in unionization are accounted for. Sociocultural aspects of modernization and unionization were very important inthe increase in female labor force participation, both across and within counties.We argue that culture as well as geography are important, yet commonly neglected, parts of both the industrialization story and of the narrative into which we fit the increase in women’s paid work outside the home.}},
  author       = {{Clivemo, Hanne and Stanfors, Maria and Önnerfors, Martin}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{A tale of 24 counties? Regional variation in female labour force participation in Sweden, 1870-1950}},
  url          = {{http://www.ehs.org.uk/dotAsset/b161ff9c-984f-4c0c-9814-e7ce135de6a6.pdf}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}