1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Historical Research on the Ideas of Equal Pay-England and America
| Project/Area Number |
06630014
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
経済理論
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| Research Institution | Nagoya City Women's College |
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Principal Investigator |
YASUKAWA Etsuko Nagoya City Women's College, President, 学長
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| Project Period (FY) |
1994 – 1995
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| Keywords | Equal Pay / Feminism / Family Wage / J.S.Mill / C.P.Gilman / Classical School of Political Economy / Division of Labor by Sex / Feminization of Labor |
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| Research Abstract |
I come to the conclusion of those three points.
1) It has a long history of question why women's wage has been lower than men's one. Many political economists like Adam Smith offered explanations on the standard of wage in their economic theory. In the late 19th century's England, a definite theory on unequal wage between man and woman come onstage with such economists as J.S.Mill. It was the same time that an ideology of the division of labor by sex had appeared on the scene. Some upper working-class people in Victorian Engaland had been caught with this idea. A man has to earn his family wage, but a woman should not get her family wage, because she is to be a family member supported by man. This idea of unequal wage is typically found in The Subjection of Women by J.S.Mill, which was published in 1869.
2) The ideas of equal wage come from feminists. Women and Economics by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is the first book on the idea of equal wage for women, which is published in 1898, America
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. She asserted not only women's right to vote but also women's right to work as paid workers. This means economic independence for women, especially for married women. It shall be materialized with the socialization of house work. Concerinig with the way to realize the socialization of house work, she concluded the best way was through commercialization of house work based on developing the division of labor in society.
3) This inquiry might be focused on the historical process of capitalist society, finding the way to realiz the 'equal pay' for women. One of the most important key words is the 'feminization of labor' to consider it. The concept of 'feminization of lobour' must lead to the idea of disintegration of family. Though Japanese my company system is famous for its cruel and workaholic system, it could only coexist with my-home family system supported by a single male earner. It cannot exist together equal pay idea. The direct but steep way to the equal wage, of course, to realize equality between women and men, could be found in the process of 'feminization of women' and the disintegration of family in capitalist countries. Less
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