Earning respect : the lives of working women in small-town Ontario, 1920-1960 / Joan Sangster.

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Earning Respect examines the lives of white and blue-collar women workers in Peterborough between 1920 and 1960 and notes the emerging changes in their work lives, as working daughters gradually became working mothers.

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CHOICE Review

Sangster's study makes a valuable contribution to the ever-growing literature examining constructions of gender in the field of labor history. Sangster examines women's work, family, and community lives, beginning with the education and socialization of girls that prepare them for entry into the paid labor force. She then documents and analyzes the experiences of women who, by choice or necessity, undertake work outside the home. Her analysis includes an excellent discussion of the evolution and nature of a distinct women's workplace culture. Union activity is explored, covering both formal and informal protest efforts. Sangster concludes with an assessment of the post-WW II era. Here she considers women's negotiation of, and experience with, changing societal views of the family. Her analysis integrates traditional archival research techniques with extensive use of oral histories. Inclusion of the voices of the women she studies adds tremendous depth, strength, and sensitivity to this excellent book. Although her research focuses on one small Canadian locale, her approach and findings will be of value for anyone studying labor history, women's history, or local history. All levels. S. Wurtele; Trent University