Gender, Work, and Post-Fordism: The EC Context

Abstract

Gender relations in employment are one of the fastest changing areas of social relations in both the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, and face even greater changes as there is closer integration in the EC and as the organization of employment relations is restructured. Three related is sues are addressed here. First, there is an apparent paradox: While there has been an enormous increase in the extent of women's paid employ ment in the United Kingdom and much of the rest of the EC, there has only been a very slight closing of the equity gap between men and women in employment in these countries. Second, what is and will be the impact of increasing European integration, especially within the EC, on the position of women in employment? Third, are the political pres sures represented in the Social Charter and Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome for equal opportunities likely to achieve their aims since they are predicated on a Fordist employment structure, just as the EC moves in a post-Fordist direction? The main focus here is on the United Kingdom as a member state of the EC, with some reference to other EC and other European countries. The article is divided into two sections: the first deals with the substantive points of change; the second focuses on the theoretical issues involved.