Heavy burdens on small shoulders
Subtitle: the labour of pioneer children on the Canadian Prairies
By: Sandra Rollings-Magnusson
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: University of Alberta Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Edmonton
Language: eng
Number of pages: 177
ISBN-13: 9780888645098
Subjects: Enfants pionniers; Pioneer children; Frontier and pioneer life; Conditions sociales; Child labor; Kinderarbeit; Siedler; Famille rurale; Rural conditions; Vie des pionniers; History; Travail; Conditions rurales; Employment; Vie à la ferme; Histoire; Rural families; Social conditions; Farm life; Enfants
Description: "The phrase "child labour" carries negative undertones in today's society. However, only a century ago on the Canadian Prairies, youngsters laboured alongside their parents - working the land, cleaning stovepipes, and chopping wood. By shouldering their share of the chores, these children learned the domestic and manual labour skills needed for life on a Prairie family farm. Rollings-Magnusson uses historic research, photographs, and personal anecdotes to describe the kinds of work performed by children and how each task fit into the family economy. This book is a vital contribution to Western Canadian History as well as family and gender studies."--pub. desc.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Division of Labour in the Family Farming Economy; title: Research Method: A Sociological Analysis of Historical Data; title: Typology of Children's Labour Contributions to the Operation of Prairie Farms; title: Outline of the Book; title: Attitudes Toward Child Labour and Children's Assistance in Pre-Production Work; title: Labour Needs of the Pioneer Family Farm; title: Initial Demands on Children's Labour: Establishing Prairie Farms; title: Productive Labour; title: Field Work; title: Livestock Production; title: Entrepreneurial Labour; title: Paid Employment; title: Raising Animals for Sale; title: Gopher Bounties and Trapping; title: Sales of Fruit and Other Produce; title: Subsistence Labour; title: Obtaining Water; title: Obtaining Fuel; title: Animal Products; title: Hunting and Fishing; title: Gardening and Harvesting: Wild Fruits and Vegetables; title: Protection of the Family from Insects and Other Animal Life; title: Protection of the Family from Prairie Fires; title: Domestic Labour; title: Gendered Roles; title: Food Preparation; title: Washing Clothes and Making Beds; title: Cleaning the Home and its Contents; title: Sewing, Knitting, Crocheting, and Other Practical Skills; title: Caring for Children; title: Conclusion.