The world of women in office jobs: Profile and carcers (Buenos Aires, 1920-1940)

Abstract

Women office workers -typists in a general sense- integrated the world of working women in the city of Buenos Aires through the 20's and 30's decades. The modernization of the economy as a result of the process started towards the end of Nineteenth Century represented an expansion of office tasks. In turn, this also meant an increase in women's engagement to fulfill the same. Office jobs represented some kind of prestige, even though society only accepted home duties suitable for women, considering inappropriate a regular paid job. The purpose of this research is as follows: One, to approach to the office employee's profile, through their skills, tasks assignments, and salary's levels. Two, to compare certain representations made by the mass-culture about the above mentioned working women. Regarding the first point, we will analyze ads and for the second one, we will refer to journal chronicles as well as to poems dramatizing typist's personality.