NWO XS Grant awarded to Posthumus fellow Corinne Boter

In the 3rd round of the NWO Open Competition SSH XS, NWO has granted an XS Grant to Posthumus fellow and former Posthumus research network coordinator Dr Corinne Boter for her research proposal, entitled ‘Technological change and gender inequality: A comparison between a Dutch and an Italian textile company, 1870-1920’.

The technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution profoundly changed work organization, with the textile industry leading the way. New technology also affected the extent of gendered occupational segregation and the gender wage gap. However, as the mechanisms behind this are not yet fully understood (as historians commonly look at macro-level developments), this project studies company-level developments. It employs comparative methods to investigate to what extent similar technological advancements in textile companies in different cultural contexts (the Netherlands and Italy), had similar or different effects on gender relations. This will elucidate the circumstances under which technology could improve or exacerbate gender inequality.

The Posthumus staff congratulates Corinne with this award.