Part-time and other non-standard forms of employment: why are they considered appropriate for women?

Abstract

<p>Focusing on part-time and other non-standard employment forms, this paper examines the relationship between these employment forms and the macro-economic environment, and initiates the debate on why part-time and other non-standard forms of employment are created primarily for the female workforce rather than the male workforce. Arguments in this study are based on the author's accumulated knowledge on this topic and her survey of part-time work in unionized organizations in Ontario, Canada. The study concludes that patriarchal values, and the economic and social structures of our society established under the influence of these values create the inferior position of part-time and other non-standard workers in their employing organizations. The author recommends that first, our view that child/ elderly care and home management are women's issues or problems should change to both 'men's and women's issues' and second, our -concept- that only full-time work is valuable and all other work is peripheral should change. The author argues that to eliminate the low opinion the employers, in particular, but the society in general, have of part-time and other non-standard employees, female and male workers' consciousnesses have to be raised on this issue. They have to work together to change the perceptions that condone the peripheral position of these workers.</p>