[quote=eavesdropper]I’d say that sociological pressures are the more likely reason for the female domination of teaching and nursing. Up until the early 70s, discrimination based on sex was common and absolutely legal…[/quote]
eavesdropper, make that clear up thru the mid-seventies. I had a waitress job during about four years of this “era” where I wore a low-backed gathered miniskirt uniform with a girdle-like cumberbund. All of us waitresses had to “spray-starch” the long back ties of our cumberbunds at home and arrive at work 15 mins. before our shift started. The gen’l mgr and shift mgr (both males) always sat at the same table during that late-afternoon slow time. We all had to line up beside the “mgr. table” and one by one visit the “male mgr. recieving line.” When a waitress got to the head of the line, the first mgr would inspect her earrings, hairstyle, pantyhose and condition of fingernails and shoes to determine if she met company policy and the second mgr would slowly tie her starched “tails” into a big beautiful bow and when he was done, spank her on the butt and say, “Suzie, you pass. Report to Station 8” or wherever. This went on until all waitresses on that shift were “prepped.” Every day, the mgrs. would switch so they could each take turns doing the spanking. If there were customers in the dining room, they were entertained by this little procession. Of course, there were no waiters there. This was a female job only.
This was all perfectly legal and none of us waitresses thought anything about it. It was just part of the procedure before our shifts began. All of us made great money and we could have cared less about this – just laughed it off!
