The Making of Women Trade Unionists

The book investigates the social construction of women's trade union participation in the context of male dominated trade unions. The book explores the making and unfolding of women's trade union careers against their experiences of three interlocking social institutions - unions, work and family. Three major themes are prominent: (i) women's separate organising, (ii) trade union and gender identities, and (iii) the gendered nature of trade union careers. The objectives of the book are to explore (i) how and why women embark on trade union careers, (ii) the social processes of women-only courses, investigating the ways in which women's gender and union identities are shaped by engagement with the gendered discourses and processes of the courses, (iii) the combined influences of the courses and union/work/family contexts on the trajectory of women's union careers. Additionally, the book offers a historical overview of the development of women's trade union education/separate organizing, with original analysis and presentation of some historical data/material.