Botiga i treball a domicili. Un exemple de protoindustrialització a Catalunya (Valls 1782-1800). El cas de Fidel Moragas Fortuny

Abstract

Shop and home-based work, an exemple of protoindustrialization in Catalonia (Valls, 1782-1800). The case of Fidel Moragas Fortuny

This article aims to study, from a gender perspective, the home-based work of a group of women in Valls (Tarragona) during the last two decades of the 18th century, emphasizing the impact of their work on both a personal and family level, as well as on the development of the economic and social environament. While the transformations experienced by Catalan society during protoindustrialization have a notable bibliographic corpus and are undergoing deeper kowledge, there are no case studies that analyze the social and economic conditions of women who worked from home. We will also examine the relationship that these workers de maintained with the «botiga» (shop) managed by Moragas, where a wide variety of products were sold wholesale and retail, including textiles. The study demonstrates how the remuneration received by the workers guaranteed païment for purchases made at Fidel Moragas’ «botiga».