First published in 1982, this pioneering work traces the transformation of "women's work" into wage
labor in the United States, identifying the social, economic, and ideological forces that have shaped our expectations
of what women do. Basing her observations upon the personal experience of individual American women set against
the backdrop of American society, Alice Kessler-Harris examines the effects of class, ethnic and racial patterns,
changing perceptions of wage work for women, and the relationship between wage-earning and family roles. In the
20th Anniversary Edition of this landmark book, the author has updated the original and written a new Afterword.