ΟΨΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΑΚΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗΣ ΖΩΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΕΡΓΑΤΡΙΩΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΛΩΣΤΟΫΦΑΝΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ «ΜΟΥΤΑΛΑΣΚΗ» ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΔΟ ΤΟΥ ΜΕΣΟΠΟΛΕΜΟΥ

Abstract

This article deals with the mediated representations, primarily of the female workforce, in the textile industry "Moutalaski" during the interwar period, aiming to address two central questions. First, we examine the actions of the workforce, which are documented by the factory overseers as acts of insubordination or disobedience, while questioning whether these actions may subtly signify hidden forms of resistance. We argue that the archive should not be viewed as a self-evident source of information, but rather as a product of power shaped by the entity that produces it, influencing its content accordingly. Therefore, we recognize that the recorded actions of the female workers and their characterization are mediated through the discourse of the overseers, setting clear boundaries for our analysis. Subsequently, the article investigates the correlation between the Labor Inspection Reports of the interwar period and the overseers' observations found in the factory's archives. Although these two entities start from different points and follow different paths, through their discourse, they produce representations of the workers, which in turn shape meanings and perceptions regarding the working class. In this article, we seek to interpret the actions of the subjects from multiple perspectives, drawing from both the factory archives and the Labor Inspection reports, attempting to disrupt the silence of the subjects to the extent that it is feasible, in order to trace the meaning of their practices. Finally, we explore possible common institutional discourses that lead to different practices, with the shared goal of controlling the subjects' labor.