This book examines the effect of state policies on women's roles in the economy. At the most concrete level it investigates the relative lack of response of women's labor force activity rates to export-led development in the Republic of Ireland. At a broader level, it provides critical insights into current labor market debates regarding the causes of women's subordination and the efficacy of state policies designed to alleviate them.

The book shows how the state, in addition to and interactively with the workplace and household, can maintain gender inequality. In so doing, Pyle demonstrates the usefulness of a revitalized and broader structural approach to feminist analysis.