A Study of Blue-collar Job Wives Living inSmall Cities in Rural Areas-I

The General Living Structure of Wiveswho have Employment (Part 1)

Abstract

It is said that the problems of home management are the largest in number with the wives who are employed in blue-collar jobs. The purpose of the present research has been to understand the general living structure of such wives; to elucidate the change of the structure according to the family structure, family life cycle, and the husband's occupation; and to observe the influence of the local environment. The subjects chosen for the research were the wives who were employed by a canning company in Kitakata City in Fukushima Prefecture. A questionnaire was administered to them in October 1970 and 93 answers were collected. The findings are as follows :
(1) The subjects are predominantly of middle age and older, with working experience of eight to ten years. Most of the families are nuclear family types. A percentage of 74.2 of the husbands are blue-collar workers with low incomes. On account of this the wives are anxious to work, with the husbands' approval, to supplement their income.
(2) Since both husband and wife work for a low salary, their standard of living is low in spite of their combined income. For instance, the area of living quarters does not show significant increase in relation to the increase of the family size; the way they save money is not regular and systematic.
(3) Their expenditures for durable goods are predominantly for pleasure rather than for helpful household equipment, indicating their low level of living and the lack of a proper appraisal of values of life in the entire district.