Il lavoro delle donne nella Francia preindustriale: un dibattito storiografico

Women’s Precarious Work in Preindustrial France: a Historiographical Debate
Women’s work was frequently precarious because it was considered unskilled; consequently female wage earners were treated as interchangeable, hired and fired at will. Historians have pointed to this employment flexibility in positive terms, underscoring its role in the family, but ignoring its effect on technical retardation or acceleration. This article surveys the historiography of women’s work to show how precariousness was integrated into theoretical analysis. It also documents an early “labor strike” of female silk workers who protested against their impermanent status.