Women in Bangladesh : a study of the effects of garment factory work on control over income and autonomy
Women in Bangladesh : a study of the effects of garment factory work on control over income and autonomy
This thesis is based on the analysis of data collected in a Population Council study of female garment workers in Bangladesh, carried out in collaboration with the University of Southampton. The study considered the process of entry into work for women and the socio-economic and demographic effects of their employment. The study involved in-depth interviews with garment workers, and a large scale questionnaire survey of over 1050 garment workers and a comparison group of 1024 non-workers from different areas of Bangladesh. This thesis is based on the analysis of data collected by a research team from the Population Council and the University of Southampton (including the author) but the analysis and write up included in this thesis are entirely the work of the author.
The thesis demonstrates that garment work can contribute to an increase in workers' autonomy though an increase in their confidence and interaction with the outside world. However, on conventional indicators of autonomy such as mobility and decision-making power this effect may not be apparent as a result of time and financial constraints faced by workers. Increases in autonomy and status do not necessarily come through control over income. By contributing to household income but still observing traditional norms regarding female behaviour, some workers can experience increases in their autonomy and status.
The thesis concludes that employment is indeed related to changes in women's autonomy and status in Bangladesh but that these links do not work through control over income alone and that, because of the complex nature of the relationship, employment is not a good proxy for women's position in society. Empirical studies, such as this, using both qualitative and quantitative data can contribute to an increased understanding of these complex relationships.
University of Southampton
Newby, Margaret Henrietta
f11605cf-e86a-42e1-adc1-f8719d86be2a
1998
Newby, Margaret Henrietta
f11605cf-e86a-42e1-adc1-f8719d86be2a
Newby, Margaret Henrietta
(1998)
Women in Bangladesh : a study of the effects of garment factory work on control over income and autonomy.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis is based on the analysis of data collected in a Population Council study of female garment workers in Bangladesh, carried out in collaboration with the University of Southampton. The study considered the process of entry into work for women and the socio-economic and demographic effects of their employment. The study involved in-depth interviews with garment workers, and a large scale questionnaire survey of over 1050 garment workers and a comparison group of 1024 non-workers from different areas of Bangladesh. This thesis is based on the analysis of data collected by a research team from the Population Council and the University of Southampton (including the author) but the analysis and write up included in this thesis are entirely the work of the author.
The thesis demonstrates that garment work can contribute to an increase in workers' autonomy though an increase in their confidence and interaction with the outside world. However, on conventional indicators of autonomy such as mobility and decision-making power this effect may not be apparent as a result of time and financial constraints faced by workers. Increases in autonomy and status do not necessarily come through control over income. By contributing to household income but still observing traditional norms regarding female behaviour, some workers can experience increases in their autonomy and status.
The thesis concludes that employment is indeed related to changes in women's autonomy and status in Bangladesh but that these links do not work through control over income alone and that, because of the complex nature of the relationship, employment is not a good proxy for women's position in society. Empirical studies, such as this, using both qualitative and quantitative data can contribute to an increased understanding of these complex relationships.
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Published date: 1998
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Local EPrints ID: 463520
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/463520
PURE UUID: b444fd1f-c682-4551-83ac-e948c551272c
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 20:52
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 01:09
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Author:
Margaret Henrietta Newby
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