The last generation of dairymaids: gender, skill, and occupational identity in Sweden

Abstract

ABSTRACT The history of the gender division of labor in the Swedish dairy industry differs from its course elsewhere in Western Europe and in North America. When milk processing was centralized and mechanized, skilled dairy work remained in the hands of women. When the industry consolidated during the interwar period, however, the occupation underwent a rapid process of masculinization at the same time that the work was deskilled and demanded less bodily toil. How did dairymaids respond to this shift? This article analyzes the autobiographies of the last generation of Swedish dairymaids who entered the occupation when it was regarded as womanly. In their education and careers, they developed a strong occupational identity and retained their sense of the dignity, value, and womanliness of their skilled labor. Ultimately, however, they were unable to defend their collective position when the employers transformed the gender division of labor while restructuring the entire industry.