In class this week, we explored how the rise of industry, technology, and consumerism impacted Canadian society at the turn of the twentieth century. In addition to the material covered in class, our weekly readings further demonstrated the effects the evolution towards modernity had on a variety of demographics, including men, women, children, and immigrants. As demonstrated in this week’s readings, women in particular were subjected to many ramifications as a result of the new economic order. As industrialization progressed throughout Canada, the structure of the workforce began to change, resulting in the development of different classes of workers. As James R. Conley writes in his article, “Frontier Labourers, Crafts in Crisis and the Western Labour Revolt: The Case ofVancouver, 1900-1919,” the working class could “be divided into four categories: frontier labourers, craftsmen, factory operatives, and settled urban workers” [1]. Although there was a “temporary employment of large numbers of women” [2], many women were forced to work “at low wages for long hours” [3]. In addition to the impact the change in the structure of the workforce had on the female population, consumerism also played a role in how women experienced life in Canada. As Donica Belisle writes in her article, “Toward a Canadian Consumer History,” “The late 19th century was a formative moment in Canadian consumer history” [4]. While there was a female presence in the workforce, this era also saw an evident sexual division in labour where “femininity is regarded as consumptive, irrational, weak, and defeatist” [5]. In a review of Belisles book which contains the article cited above, Estee Fresco, she remarks, “female shoppers were often treated in a condescending manner” [6]. As briefly summarized in this post, the experiences of women in society were greatly impacted as a result of modernization. While job opportunities did arise in different areas, the paternalistic structure of society made it impossible for women to have the same treatment as men and resulted in many stereotypes about femininity, many of which are still prevalent today.
[1]: James R. Conley, “Frontier Labourers, Crafts in Crisis and the Western Labour Revolt: The Case of Vancouver, 1900-1919,” Labour/Le Travail, 23 (Spring 1989), 13.
[2]: Ibid., 18.
[3]: Ibid., 17.
[4]: Donica Belisle, “Toward a Canadian Consumer History,” Labour/Le Travail, 52 (Fall 2003), 181.
[5]: Ibid., 188.
[6]: Estee Fresco, “Retail Nation: Department Stores and the Making of Modern Canada (Review),” The Canadian Historical Review, 93, Number 2 (June 2012), 337.
