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Psychology In The
Factory
"War factory" A Report by Mass-
Observation., (Victor Gollanez Lon-
don).
THIS study is based on the re-
JHIS study Is based on the re
port of a woman—a Cambridge
graduate—wbo lived and worked
for some months among the girls
|in a war -factory in an English
| country town.
< The giils themselves were quite
I unaware of tbe reason for her pre
sence. The observer pictures ttetr
different types and illustrates their
reactions to tbe condition! of tbeir
work and leisure.
Witain tbe factory Msell there
was, ?ays the observer, a genera]
absence of any positive sense of
citizenship. The -war was regarded
as something to be endured, not
as a crusade demanding high stan
dards of personal service. Tbe
girls took little or no interest in
public affairs. Ttaoogh absenteeisni
was not excessive, there was no
public opinion against slacking.
Girls occupied with merely repe
tition-processes often attained a
fair degree of efficiency, bat most
of them .were quite without enthu
siasm.
The girls showed no interest tn
trade unionism and shop commit
tees. Since women supervisors
were more strict than men super
visors, they were not liked by tbe
girls. Skilled processes roused
more Interest than imf*rm*?i
The problem of leisure was acute.
Many girls were too apathetic and
resonrceless to know what to do
with themselves in their spare
time. "Pictures" and dances had
a following, but few girls had any
idea of providing amusement for
themselves. Knitting material*,
cosmetics and cigarettes figured
largely in tbe weekly budgets.
The observer declares that lor
, multitudes of young people in
these days life is associated with
I 1 ainuessneas. boredom and irre
; snonsfljflity; the war has intensi
fied the sense ol Instability and be
: wflderment.
? Ttie book delineates a ftti"**""
? which isTiy no means pecuJtertxr
Britain, and if we are to find a
solution of the problems ' here
1 raised we shall have to go very
deep indeed.
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