Work

Gendered industry and feminization of the labor force: A social reproduction analysis from China

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines the effect of industrialization on the feminization of the labor focusing on a Tibetan embroidery industry in China. The industry is pivotal in addressing poverty, employing women, safeguarding ethnic culture, and stimulating local economic growth. Through the lens of social reproduction in feminist political economy, an analytical framework was developed to discuss the findings. The results reveal that while the embroidery industry is gendered and serves as a vital source of income for women, it inadvertently overlooks the inherent paradoxes in unpaid labor of social reproduction. State subsidies push forward the industry, but the unpaid and hidden labor rooted within household and community spheres, coupled with the industry's nascent stage, pulls back growth. These push‐pull dynamics underlie a homebound trap where most embroidery artisans are confined to low‐paid, home‐based piecework in an informal labor market. The study outlines implications to navigate a way out of this trap.

Source: Gender Work and Organization

DOI: 10.1111/gwao.13194

Author: Niangjijia Nyangchak

Institution: Peking University

Language: English

Topic: Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Gender equality, No poverty, Reduced inequalities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Brandeis University, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London