Pink-collar Worker - Life in The Working World

Life in The Working World

A typical job sought by working women was that of a telephone operator or Hello Girl. The workers would sit on stools facing a wall with hundreds of outlets and tiny blinking lights; they had to work quickly when a light flashed plugging the cord into the proper outlet. Despite the hassles many women wanted this job because it paid five dollars a week and provided a rest lounge for the employees to take a break.

Female secretaries were also popular; taught to be efficient, tough and hardworking, but appear soft, accommodating and subservient. They were instructed to be the protector and partner to their boss behind closed doors and a helpmate in public. These women were encouraged to go to charm schools and express their personality through fashion instead of furthering their education.

Social work became a female dominated profession in the 1930s, emphasizing a group professional identity and the casework method. Social workers gave crucial expertise for the expansion of federal, state and local government, as well as services to meet the needs of the Depression.

Teachers in primary and secondary schools remained female, although as the war progressed women began to move on to better employment and higher salaries. In 1940 teaching positions paid less than fifteen hundred dollars a year and fell to eight hundred in rural areas.

Female scientists found it hard to gain appointments at universities; they were forced to take positions in high schools, state or women’s colleges, governmental agencies and alternative institutions such as libraries or museums. Women who took jobs at such places often did clerical duties and though some held professional positions, these boundaries were blurred.

Women were hired as librarians who had been professionalized and feminized, in 1920 women accounted for eighty-eight percent of all librarians in the United States.

Two-thirds of the American Geographical Society's employees were women. Throughout the history of AGS women were librarians, editorial personal in the publishing programs, secretaries, research editors, copy editors, proofreaders, research assistants and sales staff. These women came with credentials from well-known colleges and universities and many were overqualified for their positions,but later were promoted to more prestigious positions.

Although the female employees did not receive equal wages they did get sabbaticals to attend universities to further their education and to travel for their professions all at the cost of the Society. Male co-workers portrayed their women counterparts as dedicated and self-effacing. Those women working managerial and library or museums positions made an impact on women in the work force, but still encountered discrimination when they tried to advance.

In the 1940s clerical work expanded to occupy the largest number of women employees, this field diversified as it moved into commercial service. The average worker in the 1940s was over thirty-five and married and needed to work to keep their families afloat.

During the 1950s women were taught that marriage and domesticity were more important than a career. Most women followed this path because of the uncertainty of the post war years. The suburban housewife was encouraged to have hobbies like bread making and sewing. The 1950s housewife was in conflict between being “just a housewife” because their upbringing taught them competition and achievement, many had furthered their education deriving a sense of self-worth.