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'Bread and a Pennyworth of Treacle': Excess Female Mortality in England in the 1840s

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  • Humphries, Jane

Abstract

This paper documents and analyzes the geographical distribution of excess female mortality in certain age groups in early nineteenth-century England. Female mortality disadvantages in late childhood, youth and mid-life were not mechanically linked to the changing opportunities for women and girls to participate in the economy. Two differently hostile environments are identified. The first was dangerous to women and girls as weaker and ill-fed dependents. The second was hostile because it involved labor for which women were biologically and culturally unfitted and demanded that they combine this with the heavy duties of nineteenth-century motherhood and housework. Dependence sometimes had its benefits and productive labor sometimes its costs. Copyright 1991 by Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Humphries, Jane, 1991. "'Bread and a Pennyworth of Treacle': Excess Female Mortality in England in the 1840s," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 15(4), pages 451-473, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:cambje:v:15:y:1991:i:4:p:451-73
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    Cited by:

    1. Sara Horrell & Deborah Oxley, 2015. "Gender discrimination in 19thc England: evidence from factory children," Economics Series Working Papers Number 133, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    2. Horrell, Sara & Oxley, Deborah, 2016. "Gender bias in nineteenth-century England: Evidence from factory children," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 47-64.
    3. Francisco J. Beltrán Tapia & Domingo Gallego, 2015. "Where are the missing girls? Gender discrimination in mid-19th century Spain," Working Papers 23, Department of Economic and Social History at the University of Cambridge.
    4. Isis Gaddis & Stephan Klasen, 2014. "Economic development, structural change, and women’s labor force participation:," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(3), pages 639-681, July.
    5. repec:ilo:ilowps:298738 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Paul Atkinson & Brian Francis & Ian Gregory & Catherine Porter, 2017. "Patterns of infant mortality in rural England and Wales, 1850–1910," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 70(4), pages 1268-1290, November.
    7. Robyn Donrovich & Paul Puschmann & Koen Matthijs, 2014. "Rivalry, solidarity, and longevity among siblings," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(38), pages 1167-1198.
    8. Paolo Emilio Cardone, 2020. "Social mobility and mortality in Southern Sweden (1813-1910)," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 74(2), pages 73-84, April-Jun.
    9. Berik, GUnseli & Bilginsoy, Cihan, 2000. "Type of Work Matters: Women's Labor Force Participation and the Child Sex Ratio in Turkey," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 861-878, May.
    10. Ogasawara, Kota, 2018. "Health and education during industrialization: Evidence from early twentieth century Japan," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 40-54.
    11. Luque de Haro, Víctor A. & Pujadas-Mora, Joana M. & García-Gómez, José J., 2021. "Inequality in mortality in pre-industrial southern Europe during an epidemic episode: socio-economic determinants (eighteenth - nineteenth centuries Spain)," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    12. Klasen, Stephan., 1993. "Gender inequality and development strategies: lessons from the past and policy issues for the future," ILO Working Papers 992987383402676, International Labour Organization.
    13. Aldashev, Gani & Guirkinger, Catherine, 2012. "Deadly anchor: Gender bias under Russian colonization of Kazakhstan," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 399-422.
    14. Sara Horrell & Deborah Oxley, 2015. "Gender discrimination in 19thc England: evidence from factory children," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _133, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    15. Bengtsson, Tommy & Dribe, Martin, 2011. "The late emergence of socioeconomic mortality differentials: A micro-level study of adult mortality in southern Sweden 1815-1968," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 389-400, July.
    16. Maldonado, Javier, 2019. "Detecting Gender Discrimination in Intrahousehold Resource Allocation," DES - Working Papers. Statistics and Econometrics. WS 28146, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Estadística.

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