Women and Work in Mexico's Maquiladoras

by Altha J. Cravey

The emergence of global assembly plants is closely linked to the creation of a global female industrial labor force. Women and Work in Mexico's Maquiladoras examines this larger process in Mexico, where―despite a century of industrialization and a tradition of well-paid, highly organized, male workers―the maquiladora factories have turned to predominantly female labor. Exploring this dramatic shift, this book convincingly demonstrates how gender restructuring in workplaces and households has become a crucial element in the reorientation of Mexican development. The author compares Mexico's new industrial system with its historical antecedent and documents federal policy changes that have resulted in distinct patterns of gender, unionization, household form, and social welfare. Rich in ethnographic detail, the book uses the voices of workers themselves to provide an intimate look at how daily lives have been transformed―in ways that could not have been foreseen―by the national and international processes shaping the country's industrial transition.

190 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998