Saleswomen: Gender and Work in the Commercial Area (Buenos Aires 1910-1950)

Abstract

The capitalist modernization in Argentina –mainly in the city of Buenos Aires- originated the participation of women in a wide range of salaried activities within the second and third levels of the production structure. There was an outstanding presence of women performing “over the counter” tasks. The mandatory gender principles viewed as a sexual contract – as stated by Carol Pateman – considered the feminine work an adversity. Necessity, temporariness, complementary, gave this triad an exceptional character. Nevertheless, the sales tasks combined both concepts – adversity and respectability, which granted women some social prestige. This article refers to the world of the saleswomen trying to recover the universe which these tasks offered to the working class women in their search for a better social position. It is the reason why it refers to the different meanings of feminine work, the quantitative side of the sales tasks as well as the particular reasons of respectability and adversity besides the influence in their private lives. This document is supported by an heterogeneous corpus of documentation linking life stories with census data, newspaper advertisements, publicity, journalists writings and feminist reports.