Sociology 699F: Oppenheimer

Sociology 699F: Gender & Social Change

Oppenheimer, 1973

Oppenheimer, Valerie K. 1973. "Demographic Influence on Female Employment and the Status of Women." American Journal of Sociology 78(January): 946-961. Reprinted as pp. 184-199 in Joan Huber (ed.), Changing Women in a Changing Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. JSTOR [HM1.A7]

Causal model:

Outcome: 20th C. increase in women's labor force participation

Cause: increasing demand for female labor

Cause: decline in young unmarried women after 1950

My argument is that continued economic development in our society has increased the demand for female labor, which, combined with demographically induced shifts inthe supply of woemn, has resulted in the considerable post-World War II rise in women's labor-force participation. (p.186)

Demand for female labor

Occupations are heavily gender segregated
Development shifted the demand towards service sector and occupations that were already female
Measures?

Supply of female labor

Declined during 1950s
Always slower growth than the estimates of demand
Decline due to
- fertility declines (esp. 1930s)
- baby boom withdrew young mothers from supply
- decline in age at marriage
- increase in years of education
Thus, the only available supply was older married women

Post 1970s?

Demand: occupational shifts
Supply: fertility, marriage, education trends