Existing during the great depression came with enormous struggles. upon the time great Depression first hit, racism was very real, which meant a job for someone of colour, or a non-traditional, white ethnicity was improbable. Despite the level of education the individual had achieved. Accompanied by racism, sexism was evident. Gender had a big impact on how the workforce was shaped, and contributed an immense amount of how workers outlived the great depression. Both genders played a role in how they survived the great Depression. I would agree that this was not the only determining factor, although, it had the strongest impact.
Based upon the skin colour of a worker during the great Depression, would determine if you would receive work. …show more content…
Women of Caribbean descent were single and at a young age during this time of the Depression (Stringley, 2005). Due to the fact that majority of citizens being hired were white males, this led for people of colour to start their own businesses. Though Toronto’s black neighbourhoods were viable communities, their businesses were unable to provide the women in their community with a range of jobs, or even a sufficient number of low-paying ones (Stringley, 2005). Racism was a huge factor in what shaped the labour workforce, segregating those of colour, making them jobless. This being said, white women had access to more jobs within their (larger) communities, than black women (Stringley, 2005). Due to this, women of colour were being forced to search for jobs within the white community, where they were not accepted nor seen as eligible to work. Even if these women graduated first in their class with a high level of education, they would still be seen as less eligible than someone who is white, who may have less of an education. Being of colour meant the only type of work you would get would be domestic, options of office work, factory, and hospital work, were not available for them (Stringley, 2005). Depending on class position, people, including women, experienced and recalled domestic service differently (Stringley, 2005). A lot of the women involved with domestic work, would be making money …show more content…
Gender played a massive role when it came to the workforce being shaped, and how workers overcame the Depression, though I would argue it was not the only factor. Due to the amount of racism, discrimination, and sexism during the time of the Depression, people of colour, or women, were typically left without jobs. For the black community this allowed them to create their own type of work, becoming their own bosses and becoming determined to make a living to support their families. Due to the amount of segregation to those of non-white ethnicity, of colour, and/or a women, they essentially built their own work labour force by creating their own jobs, or doing jobs they were not “typically” supposed to be doing. To conclude, gender played a big role, but was not the only factor in how workers survived the great
Based upon the skin colour of a worker during the great Depression, would determine if you would receive work. …show more content…
Women of Caribbean descent were single and at a young age during this time of the Depression (Stringley, 2005). Due to the fact that majority of citizens being hired were white males, this led for people of colour to start their own businesses. Though Toronto’s black neighbourhoods were viable communities, their businesses were unable to provide the women in their community with a range of jobs, or even a sufficient number of low-paying ones (Stringley, 2005). Racism was a huge factor in what shaped the labour workforce, segregating those of colour, making them jobless. This being said, white women had access to more jobs within their (larger) communities, than black women (Stringley, 2005). Due to this, women of colour were being forced to search for jobs within the white community, where they were not accepted nor seen as eligible to work. Even if these women graduated first in their class with a high level of education, they would still be seen as less eligible than someone who is white, who may have less of an education. Being of colour meant the only type of work you would get would be domestic, options of office work, factory, and hospital work, were not available for them (Stringley, 2005). Depending on class position, people, including women, experienced and recalled domestic service differently (Stringley, 2005). A lot of the women involved with domestic work, would be making money …show more content…
Gender played a massive role when it came to the workforce being shaped, and how workers overcame the Depression, though I would argue it was not the only factor. Due to the amount of racism, discrimination, and sexism during the time of the Depression, people of colour, or women, were typically left without jobs. For the black community this allowed them to create their own type of work, becoming their own bosses and becoming determined to make a living to support their families. Due to the amount of segregation to those of non-white ethnicity, of colour, and/or a women, they essentially built their own work labour force by creating their own jobs, or doing jobs they were not “typically” supposed to be doing. To conclude, gender played a big role, but was not the only factor in how workers survived the great