Abstract

GODOY, Solange. Mujeres en las dependencias administrativas del ferrocarril en Mechita, Junín, Ciudad de Santa Fe y Capital Federal (Argentina, segunda mitad del siglo XX). Rev. Pilquen. secc. cienc. soc. [online]. 2022, vol.25, n.4, pp.96-115. ISSN 1851-3123.

This article aims to analyse the participation of women in the administrative offices of the railways in Argentina during the second half of the 20th century, paying particular attention to the perspective of the women workers themselves. To that end, I analyse the numerical asymmetry between men and women in the workplaces, the impact of familial relationships on working life, and the interrelationship between offices and train depots. I argue that administrative jobs were not necessarily seen as “women’s work”; hence, it is important to consider the specific variations across different geographical locations that characterise a scenario with a diverse range of experiences. For some of the subjects of the study, working in the offices exposed them to profoundly uncomfortable situations. Despite that, in the context of the limited spaces they found to work on the railways, administrative work offered some roles which were more receptive to the incorporation of women. Indeed, it is even the case that some of the workers manifest a strong sense of identification with their work. Drawing on qualitative methodology, this study is based on in-depth interviews with women workers from Mechita, Junín, Santa Fe and Capital Federal, and documentary analysis of company records.

Keywords : Women; Offices; Railways; Workers.

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