estacionalidad - History Lab

Seasonality of work by sex. S’Estorell, 1658-1673

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:48 +0000

The demand for agricultural wage labour was highly seasonal, limiting the possibilities of converting it into a regular source of income. The development of agrarian capitalism contributed to this, which led to a productive specialisation in which the participation of women was lower than in the manufacturing and service sectors. The s’Estorell estate was located in the parish of Binissalem, at the foot of the Tramontana mountain range, and was the largest estate in the municipality and one of the ten most profitable on the island, with a valuation of 52,000 pounds according to the land registry of 1685. It covered 520 hectares, occupying the Almandrá valley up to the first peaks of the mountain range in the villages of Alaró and Selva. The work roles assigned to men and women could be broken when the concurrence of different work demands for different tasks in the same season demanded it. From September to January, female and child labour was absorbed in its entirety by the carob harvest (September) and later for the olive harvest (October-January). Once the olive season was over, women joined in January or February the spring weeding for cereals, generally in April and May. On the other hand, the men’s work began in August with the clearing of the olive groves (August-October) and continued from November to January with the digging of the olive trees, which was interspersed with the digging of the wheat fields. In February they began pruning the olive trees (February-April) and then grafting the olive trees (May). In summer, the demand for agricultural labour was concentrated on harvesting, although some labour was also assigned to forestry activities such as charcoal production. Seasonality was, however, a notable anomaly. Around 44% of the working days were contributed by labourers and 56% by day labourers. Female labour accounted for 75% of the working days, male labourers for 17% and child labour was absent, at least in the account books.

The post Seasonality of work by sex. S’Estorell, 1658-1673 first appeared on History Lab.

Seasonality of foundling mortality in Tenerife, 1752-1794

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

The behaviour of the mortality of foundlings in Tenerife was conditioned by the passing of the seasons, as during the harshest months of the year, in winter and summer, temperatures reached their extremes on the island and a higher mortality of abandoned children was recorded. Accordingly, in January there was an increase in the number of deaths due to respiratory illnesses (colds and flus), aggravated by the poor condition in which the children arrived at the centre after their journey. In spring, on the other hand, there was a slight decrease in mortality, favoured by the improvement in temperatures where conditions between abandonment and transfer to the crèche were more favourable. However, particularly in July, the number of deaths increased due to infectious diseases and the harshness of the conditions in which remission took place. After the summer heat, in autumn and at the beginning of winter, the number of deaths stabilised. At this level, and in relation to the particularities of the island’s economic and social life, parallels can be found with the situation experienced in Salamanca, London and Florence.

The post Seasonality of foundling mortality in Tenerife, 1752-1794 first appeared on History Lab.

Progressive mortality (%) of foundlings in La Laguna (Tenerife) during the first years of life, 1752-1780

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

The high mortality rate of foundlings recorded in 18th century Tenerife at the Casa de la Cuna de La Laguna was not so much due to the poor physical conditions in which they arrived at the institution as to the fragility and continuing economic hardship. These determined, for example, the absence of internal milkmaids, which meant that the children had to wait for one or more days until they were handed over to the external milkmaids. On the other hand, the mere exchange of the administrator resulted in the emergence of internal problems in the functioning of the incluse, such as the under-recording of infant mortality. The institution’s economic and administrative fragility must have been external, with a strong impact on the chances of survival of the children in its care.

The post Progressive mortality (%) of foundlings in La Laguna (Tenerife) during the first years of life, 1752-1780 first appeared on History Lab.