Consumerism and the Movement of Housewives into Wage Work: The Interaction of Patriarchy, Class and Capitalism in Twentieth Century America [Paperback]

First published in 1998, this volume explores the connections between the rises in consumerism and the number of married women in paid work in light of the centrality of shopping and consumerism to the modern world. David R. Wells argues for womens incomplete gains from consumerism through an analysis of married womens employment, the structure of capitalism and the contradictory requirements of consumerism, the homemaker ideal and gender identity. Through this, Wells demonstrates how the gendered expectations of consumerism became motivating factors for women to join the workforce, resulting in higher standards of living and greater marital power.

1. Empirical Research on Married Womens Employment. 2. Structural Theories for Married Womens Employment. 3. Consumerism and the Structure of Capitalism. 4. The Contradictory Marriage of Consumerism and the Homemaker Ideal. 5. Gender-identity versus Consumption-identity: the Battle at Home. 6. Conclusion: Womens Incomplete Gains from Consumerism.

First published in 1998, this volume explores the connections between the rises in consumerism and the number of married women in paid work, demonstrating how the gendered expectations of consumerism became motivating factors for women to join the workforce.