Restructuring the Rural Farm Economy: Midwestern Women's and Men's Work Roles during the Farm Crisis Period

Abstract

During the 1980s, the rural economy experienced extensive restructuring, evidenced in the farm crisis and changes in other traditional rural industries. This study focuses on a segment of the rural population particularly affected by these changes: farm women and men in the Midwest. We examine how experiences of farm and broader rural restructuring differ for women and men, resulting in a gendered response to farm and off-farm work participation. The study enables us to address empirical questions raised about women's work patterns during the 1980s. In spite of the farm crisis, the traditional gender division of labor in family-based production changed little. Observed increases in farm women's paid employment were more likely due to longer-term economic changes, coupled with lesser, shorter-term impacts of the crisis. The study underscores the limitations of traditional policy interventions for the farm and rural population and outlines new directions.