Interview with Grandmom, Hist 150 Spring 2024, Conducted by Kevin Canuso, March 17, 2024.

Overview to Social Change Interview:

Significant social changes of the 1970s shaped the woman in the world today. During this period, the women’s liberation movement gained momentum by questioning conventional gender norms and promoting equal chances in the workplace. During this time, women expanded into previously perceived to be male-dominated industries and grew more independent. Data sourced from the US Department of Labor indicates a significant rise in the proportion of female workers in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, the percentage of women in the labor force had risen from 38% in the 1960s to 51.6%. Despite this pattern, a small percentage of workers were women in other industries, such as the automotive sector, which continued to be predominately male. The gender wage gap has been and continues to be an ongoing concern for women. During this time Women made, on average, 59 cents for every dollar earned by males. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were attempts by the government to put a stop to this. This legislation provided a foundation for legally addressing the wage gap problems, but gender biases and cultural norms remained. During this period, Grandmom worked in the automotive business and experienced mistreatment from male coworkers. Grandmom discusses the challenges she encountered as a woman employed in a field dominated by men in this interview, as well as the impact it had on her. She provides a personal insight into what it is like being a working woman during the 1970s and a reminder of the ongoing strides made to achieve equity for all women in the workplace.

Biography:

This is an interview of Grandmom conducted by her grandson. Grandmom, born May 7, 1941, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, navigated through a career path in a male-dominated industry without pursuing any higher education. Her professional journey mostly revolves around working as a cashier at the Faulkner Car Dealership and facing many challenges along the way breaking barriers. Currently Grandmom is living with her wife Grandpop outside of Philadelphia. Grandmom’s story reflects her ability to adapt, persevere, and make sacrifices for her family. This interview offers a perspective of work through Grandmom’s eyes during the 1970s. Showing the gender biases and problems women faced in the work force especially in a male-dominated field.

Research:

For understanding the historical context of Grandmom’s experience working in a male-dominated field such as a car dealership during the 1970s, it is important to understand the broader dynamics of that time. the 1970s marked a period of huge social change in the United States, including the women’s liberation movement gaining momentum and challenging traditional gender roles in the workforce. According to data from the U.S Department of Labor, the female labor force participation rate increased from 43.3% in 1970 to 51.6% in 1980. Despite this trend of women in the labor force, certain jobs still remained male-dominated. The automobile field stayed male-dominated, only a small fraction of employees in the automobile industry in the 1970s were women.

Wage differences were also a big problem between men and women during the 1970s. Women earned about 59 cents to a dollar earned by men or 59% of what men earned. These wage differences were huge especially in a male-dominated field. Legislative attempted to address the gender discrimination in the workplace, such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII pf the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These acts provided legal framework for overcoming employment problems. Unfortunately, cultural problems kept these legislative mandates useless resulting in continued challenges for women seeking equal opportunities in the workplace.

The way society viewed gender roles influenced hiring in the workplace as well. Men are viewed as the breadwinner and women as homemakers. This shapes employer’s view on women’s suitability for certain jobs. These beliefs greatly contribute to the discrimination of women for male-dominated industries such as working in a car dealership, these beliefs affect women to this day.

Bibliography:

“Home: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.” Home | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 19 Apr. 2024, www.eeoc.gov/.

“Women in the Labor Force, 1970–2009.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5 Jan. 2011, www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2011/ted_20110105_data.htm.

Yellen, Janet L. “The History of Women’s Work and Wages and How It Has Created Success for Us All.” Brookings, 6 Jan. 2021, www.brookings.edu/articles/the-history-of-womens-work-and-wages-and-how-it-has-created-success-for-us-all/.

durie@pennlive.com, Daniel Urie |. “Central PA. Car Dealership Opens New Facility.” Pennlive, 8 Apr. 2019, www.pennlive.com/news/2019/04/central-pa-car-dealership-opens-new-facility.html.

Transcript:

Kevin Canuso 0:01: Are you ready?

Grandmom 0:02: Yes. 

Kevin Canuso 0:06: Hi, this is my grandmother. Can you tell me something about your experience working in a male dominated field specifically in car dealerships during the 1970s?

Grandmom 0:21: Yes, it’s mostly male dominant. I was a cashier at Faulkner Automobiles, worked part time, a lot of night shifts.

Kevin Canuso 0:37: Can you describe what it’s like entering the car dealership industry during that era as a woman?

Grandmom 0:46: It was hard. I just had to do my job as a cashier, didn’t have too many job duties and had to wear heels and a skirt.

Kevin Canuso 1:00: Did you run into any obstacles during that?

Grandmom 1:05: They didn’t really take my opinion. I just had to do what I was told.

Kevin Canuso 1:16: How did you overcome those obstacles?

Grandmom 1:21: I worked my way up through the years and gained their trust. I got along with most of the people there that were mostly men. But over time they respected me.

Kevin Canuso 1:38: So are there any strategies they use to gain that respect?

Grandmom 1:49: Talk to them gain their trust through families, talking

Kevin Canuso 2:06: Do you have any memorable moments that happened? Working in the car dealership?

Grandmom 2:13: I remember being locked in the office at night they thought myself and the other lady work on and everything was closed. And they let the guard dogs out. And I had a run through the parking lot to get away from the guard dogs in my heels

Kevin Canuso 2:42: How does your experience in the 1970s working in a car dealership shape your career

Grandmom 2:53: I was mostly a stay at home mom and took odd jobs from the car dealership I was able to get another job as a receptionist at a long term care facility which was mostly called nursing homes then. So I did gain experience at the dealership and worked at the front desk there but still has flexible hours for my family.

Kevin Canuso 3:22: Okay. What do you consider your greatest achievement and breaking barriers during this time?

Grandmom 3:33: I was able to support my family when my husband was out of work

Kevin Canuso 3:36: Is there anything else you’d like to share about working in a male dominated industry during the 1970s

Grandmom 3:55: It wasn’t easy. It was definitely a hard time, but I did it for my family to put food on the table. But I did gain some good relationships and I still know people from the dealership to this day. That the one guy was a sales manager at the time now he runs a lot of the

and he helped me with my last purchase of a car. So those relationships did help over the years. 

Kevin Canuso 4:31: That’s good. Based on your experience and male dominated industry, what advice would you offer young woman aspiring careers in a similar environment today?

Grandmom 4:44: Never give up. Do what you love, regardless of what other people say. Always be respectful. Enjoy what you do regardless of what people say about you or what you have to overcome.

Kevin Canuso 5:11: Alright thank you for your time this concludes the interview.

Overview of Interview:

The interview was taken over the phone and recorded on my laptop, Grandmom lives in Pennsylvania and I am currently in Harrisonburg, Va. The interview was recorded then converted into an mp3 audio file. I used Otter.ai to transcribe the interview the edited the mistakes made.

Transcription Process:

The transcription adheres to the guidelines outlined in the Columbia University Center for Oral History Research Transcription Style Guide. I transcribed the interview using Otter.ai, a tool that automatically transcribes audio files and includes time stamps. I then reviewed the transcript, making changes where it was necessary to exclude filler words, unless it added to the transcript. I fixed grammar mistakes and made sure the transcript was readable also.