A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46
XIII. GROUP DIFFERENCES IN CAKE BUYING AND BAKING WORKING WOMEN
It seemed Important to know whether the cake buying and baking habits of women who went to work besides doing their housework differed from those who concentrate on housework only. The material was, therefore, analysed in accordance with the occupation of the housewife. Three groups were distinguished, women working full time outside their home, women working part time, and women doing only housework.
In the following tables the results for full time working women and those who are housewives only, called for convenience “working” and “not working”, will be compared as representing the two extreme groups.
Table 26
| Buying and baking habits | Not working % | Working % |
| %who bake | 75 | 70 ± 6 |
| % who buy | 80 | 80 |
| SAMPLE: | 1896 | 236 |
Neither for baking nor buying is there a significant difference between the two groups of women. The women who work make up for their lack of time during the week by baking on Sundays, and buying on Saturdays.
Table 27
| Days on which cakes are baked | Not working % | Working % |
| % baking on Sunday | 16 | 27 ± 6 |
| SAMPLE: | 1896 | 236 |
Table 28
| Days on which cakes are bought | Not working % | Working % |
| % buying at week-ends (Friday, Saturday) | 25 ± 6 | 34 |
| SAMPLE: | 1896 | 236 |
Significantly more working women bake on Sundays and buy on Fridays and Saturdays.
The frequency with which cakes are bought during the week is also dependent upon whether women are working or not.
Table 29
| Number of times cakes are bought during a week | Not working % | Working % |
| % who buy more than once a week | 34 | 24 ± 6 |
| SAMPLE: | 1896 | 236 |
Working women buy less often than housewives not working.
Working and not working women buy their cakes to a certain extent at different types of shops.
Table 30
More working women buy at small grocers and cafes, but fewer at bakers and confectioners, than the women not working.
It was to be expected that working women would have less time for queueing, though the difference is not very great as the next table shows.
Table 31
| Incidence of queueing | Not working % | Working % |
| Queued during last seven days | 18 (±5) | 11 |
| Did not queue | 78 (±6) | 84 |
| N.A. | 4 | 5 |
| SAMPLE: all who bought cakes | 1523 | 189 |
The difference between the proportions of working and not working women who stood in queues is statistically significant, though small. No other differences could be found among these two groups.
ECONOMIC GROUPS
In order to see whether there were any differences in cake buying and baking habits caused by the economic status of housewives, the material was analysed into four groups in accordance with the basic wage of the main wage earner of the household:
Table 32
| Baking of Cakes | Economic Groups | |||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| % who bake | 58(±9) | 72 | 77 | 80 |
| SAMPLE | 298 | 583 | 934 | 435 |
More cakes are baked as wage rates increase. The biggest difference exists between the two lowest income groups.
Table 33
The poorest group has the smallest number of housewives who bake.
Table 34
| Buying of Cakes | Economic Groups | |||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| % who buy | 68(±9) | 84 | 83 | 79 |
| SAMPLE | 298 | 583 | 943 | 435 |
The poorest group has the smallest number of buyers.
Table 35
In the lower income groups, housewives buy less at cafes and bakers and more at small grocers and large stores.
Table 36
| Numbers who queue | Economic Groups | |||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Queued during the last seven days | 8(±6) | 14 | 22(±4) | 20 |
| SAMPLE: | 201 | 488 | 772 | 290 |
No other economic group differences could be founds.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
The materiel was analysed into the twelve food regions, so that the sample for each region is, therefore, small. The results for four questions are presented in the two following tables and should be used with caution.