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Onwards and Upwards? Gender and Work in Ireland
Author(s) -
O’Sullivan Sara
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2012.00458.x
Subject(s) - irish , workforce , sociology , context (archaeology) , gender studies , unpaid work , inequality , power (physics) , gender relations , work (physics) , division of labour , explanatory power , demographic economics , political science , economic growth , economics , law , geography , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , philosophy , linguistics , physics , mathematics , archaeology , epistemology , quantum mechanics , engineering
It can be argued that the Irish workforce has been revolutionised over the past 25 years, as married women entered the world of paid work in increasing numbers, bolstering the female participation rate. There have also been changes in gender roles and gender role attitudes over the period. This review will present sociological research analysing this major social change, including research that places the Irish case in a comparative European and international context. The review will mirror the main foci of the field, paying particular attention to research on gender role attitudes, occupational segregation and unpaid work. The gendering of the Irish workforce has been a complex and uneven process, involving continuities as well as changes. Overall, the sexual division of labour remains a key feature of paid and unpaid work in Ireland, and the concept has considerable explanatory power in relation to persistent gender inequalities.