Women in the Office: Transitions in the Global Economy - Softcover

Secretaries, administrative assistants, clerks, word-processors and telemarketers make up a sector of the working world whose voice is rarely heard. In this timely and insightful investigative analysis, Ann Eyerman places these women front and centre. She brings to our attention just how important office work is to the functioning of our economy and how restructuring under the global economy is causing dramatic shifts in the office environment. Is a full-time job a thing of the past? How is downsizing affecting women working in insurance, banking, law and education? Are the new technologies making their lives easier or have they created greater responsibilities, longer hours and higher stress levels? Ann Eyerman takes these questions to the women in the field. Contributing her own story along with candid conversations of eleven office workers, Eyerman brings to the fore the concerns women face in the their drastically shifting workplaces. These narratives are framed by a sharp and concise explanation of the social and political shifts behind these transitions. Yet despite these setbacks, Eyerman demonstrates the resourcefulness of women. She uncovers the strategies women are developing to preserve their working culture, their sense of self and their economic well-being in a time of global change.

Ann Eyerman is a political employment activist on behalf of women, and has spent most of her career working as a legal secretary.