Women have traditionally increased their labor force participation rate in times of national emergency, such as a depression or world war. At these times, their presence is almost universally accepted. Both of these explanations for women s work family problems or national emergency are aspects of work as a social pathology. When women work because something is wrong and they are acting outside of their appropriate sex role, special protections are required. This concept incorporates the first theoretical framework.
Women enter the labor force unwillingly because there has been a failure.
They are different from normal workers and should be treated accordingly. In the 1880s, states began to enact protective labor laws despite a strong judicial tradition against any interference with laissez-faire capitalism. Muller limited women s work hours to ten per day. Women needed a minimum wage so that they would not resort to prostitution. The concept of a minimum wage for women was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1923.