Artikel

Sociale en beroepsproblemen van de vrouw tewerkgesteld in de openbare sector: een onderzoek te Gent

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Abstract

Social and professional problems of female employment in public administration - Among sociological studies of civil servants and clerks in general, few give any attention to the female representatives of this professional group. On the other hand, apart from comparative studies of different professional groups/there are, among the specialized studies dealing with the problems of married working women, few that spend any attention to female clerks. In the present study the authors attempt to probe more deeply into the professional and social problems of female employment in public administration. For this purpose an inquiry was conducted among female personnel employed in public administration in Ghent. The sample consisted of a third of the population, and 219 subjects were interviewed. After a description of the characteristics of the interviewees, their professional careers, their response to the working group, to their job, and to some aspects of working in public administration are discussed. Separate chapters deal with union membership and the motives that influence the decision to go out to work. With special reference to the interviewees with family charges, some light is thrown on the measures they take to cope with their domestic duties and on what happens to their children during working hours. Some attention is devoted to their attitude towards part-time work. Finally, a short note on vacation, leisure activities and their contacts with colleagues outside working hours is added. The conclusion is that, like most working women, the married female clerks employed in public administration go out to work in the first place in order to improve their financial position. The unmarried, the widowed and the divorced work to provide for their financial needs. The psychological urge that impels married women to find interests outside their home environment, appears less prevalent than one would imagine. For the majority, their family remains of prime importance. There is still a long way to go before that kind of ’re-organized’ society is established where not only men and women participate together in all activities, but where women may have full scope to develop outside their homes.

How to Cite:

Versichelen, M. & Van Parys, H., (1964) “Sociale en beroepsproblemen van de vrouw tewerkgesteld in de openbare sector: een onderzoek te Gent”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 9(2), 111–145. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95696