'Morgan is to be congratulated on producing such a coherent and sophisticated analysis from the daunting array of data and theoretical perspectives on offer. The lucid presentation disguises an immensely complicated narrative, and the brevity if the text belies an impressive breadth and depth of knowledge.' - Katrina Honeyman, Northern History, September 2002

• Chapter 1 Introductory essay – gender in labor history; Part I Negotiating gender difference in the cotton district; Chapter 2 Cooperation, conflict, and community; Chapter 3 Shaping women’s identities; Part II Female labor and gender difference in the small metal industries; Chapter 4 Gender at work; Chapter 5 Gender divisions and class relations; Chapter 6 Gender, class, and community in the Black Country; Chapter 7 Negotiating gender difference in the small metal industries; Conclusion;