THE SEXUAL DIVISION-OF-LABOR IN-PROCESS MANUFACTURING - ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING, TRAINING AND WOMENS WORK

It is widely assumed that the development of enhanced skills appropria te to advanced technologies is an important means of increasing the em ployability of the socially excluded. This article tests this assumpti on through case studies in the food industry in Austria, Germany and B ritain. The findings indicate that organizational restructuring, techn ological change and redeployment of labour have very different consequ ences for women and for men. In all three countries the restructuring of work and skills increased the marginalization of women, reinforcing gender cleavage.