Industrial Restructuring and Women's Homework in Appalachia: Lessons from West Virginia

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between industrial restructuring and women's homework in Appalachia. Since the early 1970s, industrial restructuring in this region has led to substantial job loss in mining and manufacturing industries and increased employment in the service sector. These employment shifts, coupled with Appalachia's long tradition of informal sector activities, make homework a viable income-generating strategy for women. This paper first addresses some of the literature on the geography of gender and industrial restructuring. Second, women's homework is analyzed as an economic strategy in response to industrial restructuring. In the third section, the types and significance of women's homework in West Virginia is discussed in the context of this state's economic history. The final section outlines the implications of this study for regional development in Appalachia and West Virginia in particular.

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