FAMILY INCOME OF GHENT WORKING-CLASS FAMILIES C1900

Using an extensive inquiry into the family income of Ghent artisans an d cotton, linen, and metal workers around 1900, the research reported in this article examines the level and the composition of family incom e at different phases of the life-cycle. In the Belgian textile center Ghent, which was characterized by a low male wage level married women made a substantial contribution to the family income, especially in t he years before children started to earn a living. The family income p er person of textile workers approached or even exceeded the income of metal workers and artisans despite the fact that heads' wages were lo wer: the textile families' strategy, consisting of an increased work e ffort of women and children, was successful in bridging the income gap . On the other hand, the wives of metal workers and artisans came clos er to the realization of the domestic ideal.