Page 217 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change

Notes The number of women employed in India in 1979 in factories was 5.14 lakh, in mines 0.8 lakh, and in
plantations 4.18 lakh.
Table 9.2
Break-up of Percentage of Female Workers

Cateogry 1961 1971 1981
Cultivators 15.45 3.61 4.77
Agricultural labourers 6.87 6.18 6.58
Other workers 5.61 2.34 3.09
Total female workers 27.93 12.13 14.44

Of the total women in the workforce in India, out of every 100 employed women, 52.59 are illiterate,
28.56 are educated up to primary and middle school, 13.78 are educated upto secondary school, and
5.07 are graduates and above (Ibid: 124). In the urban areas, out of every 100 employed women, 25.83
are illiterate, 35.49 are educated up to primary and middle school, 25.71 are educated up to secondary
school, and 12.97 are graduates and above. In the rural areas, out of every 100 employed women,
88.11 are illiterate, 10.68 are educated up to primary and middle school, and 1.21 are educated above
middle school (Ibid: 124).
Work Motivations
Why do women seek employment? The motivation to work among women is different from that of
men. Though the main reason appears to be ‘monetary need’ but it will be wrong to say that all
women pursue a job only with this motive. On the basis of a study of 728 working women, the
important factors in seeking jobs are poined out as: insufficient wages of husband, death of husband,
illness of husband, non-support by husband, desertion by husband, and preference for work outside
the home. Broadly speaking, 89.0 per cent of the women were found to be working due to economic
necessity. A study of 225 working women in Jaipur (Rajasthan) in 1989 by Deepa Mathur (1992: 23)
identified six motivational factors in women’s employment: economic necessity or augmenting meagre
family income (22.7%), security against future contingencies (20.0%), improvement of living standard
(20.4%), escape from boredom or social affiliation (17.3%), personal esteem (12.4%), and self-fulfilment
(7.2%). Thus, 63.0 per cent women worked for financial reasons and 37.0 per cent for non-financial
reasons. When the women were asked that given an option to choose all over again, would they
prefer being full-time housewives or full-time employees with householder’s role, 52.0 per cent
preferred only a domestic role and 48.0 per cent favoured a combination of work and marriage (Ibid:
24). Thus, a little more than half of the women were found eager to work and a little less than half
were found reluctant to work. The measurement of the motivational level pointed out that 47.6 per
cent women had a high motivational level (that is, desire for work was sustained and kept up by a
composite of several factors), 35.1 per cent had a moderate motivational level, and 17.3 per cent had
a low motivational level. The high motivational level was found related to high level of education,
higher job satisfaction, and young age. In 29.0 per cent cases, the source of motivation was family of
orientation (parents, siblings), in 23.0 per cent cases family of procreation (husband, in-laws), in 9.0
per cent cases friends and teachers, and in 39.0 per cent cases self-inspiration.
Like factors which increase the propensity of motivation to work, there are some factors which mitigate
this propensity. The de-motivating factors in Deepa Mathur’s study (Ibid: 36) were found to be:
non-availability of suitable jobs (49%), lack of skill (20%), lack of desire to work (18%), discouragement
from husband/inlaws (8%), and incompatibility with husband’s job requirement (5%).
Dual Role Satisfaction
How many women remain satisfied with the dual roles? If an earning woman attempts and succeeds
in merging her working role with the general roles of mother and wife, she will be considered as a
woman who is satisfied with her dual roles. The ‘high’ satisfaction implies being happy with the
performance of both the worker’s and home-maker’s roles; ‘moderate’ satisfaction implies marginal

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