Studying Housework
In the late sixties, budding feminist sociologist Ann Oakley embarked on a study of the attitudes and work satisfaction of British housewives. She endeavored to statistically reveal the appalling nature of women’s working conditions in the home – arduous work, for long hours, in isolation, with little or no pay, no compensation, no pension, no relief, no time off, no paid holidays, and no basis for negotiation for improved conditions. Oakley hoped to expose men as exploitive employers and to give the gross injustices against women in the realm of housework sociological significance. According to Oakley, “Housework is work directly opposed to the possibility of human self-actualization.”
In the course of her study, Oakly discovered many contradicitons between women’s analyses of their “jobs” as housewives and their reported satisfacion with the role. In spite of their admission of the the repetitive monotonous nature of their tasks, and in spite of conceding that they didn’t really enjoy doing them, Oakly found that many women were still committed to the role of housewife. In fact, many defended the role and claimed to enjoy being a housewife, even though they didn’t really like the tasks associated with it. Oakley concluded that housewives had been socialized into accepting an otherwise unacceptable, oppressive job.
Oakley sought to prove statistically that the role of housewife – which involved housework and caring for children – was exploitive and oppressed women. Oakley argued that partriarchal men had forced women into this oppressed role and had kept them there by covertly convincing them that they were satisfied. Oakley concluded that women needed to be educated about how bitter and demeaning housework and caring for children really was, and to be convinced to reject this traditional woman’s role.
Oakley’s analysis, and the subsequent writings of other feminists, such as American Pat Mainardi (The Politics of Housework), caused a shift in woman’s attitudes toward the role of housewife. Instead of being valued for its contribution to the nurturing and well-being of family, housework was demeaned for for its “degradation” of women. Due to the influence of feminism over the last few decades, a woman who is “just a housewife” has been taught to hang her head in shame.
Pat Ennis is a professor and establishing chairperson of the Department of Home Economics-Family and Consumer Sciences, at The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California, where she has served since 1987. She is embarking on a new study of housework, addressing the topic from a Christian perspective.
Ennis is a speaker, co-author of Becoming a Woman Who Pleases God, Designing a Lifestyle that Pleases God, and Practicing Hospitality, the Joy of Serving Others, contributing author to Think Biblically, Recovering a Christian Worldview, and author of Precious in His Sight, the Fine Art of Becoming a Godly Woman. She says, “Since there is a lack of current research addressing this topic by Christians I am conducting a study to discern the perception of Christians about the life skills commonly associated with the management of the home.”
Would you like to be part of this study? You can complete her questionnaire online:
Cheryl Mendelson’s “Home Comforts,” a book on household arts, enjoyed a warm reception from the reading public a few years ago. In it she writes that housekeeping creates “cleanliness, order, regularity, [and] beauty” in our lives. It is true that not everyone will find chores so glamourous, but, Mendelson argues that contrary to feminist thought, a broom is not a tool of patriarchal oppression.
What do you think… Is housework demeaning to women? Is it “directly opposed to the possibility of human self-actualization?” Or is it something that is worthwhile for the “cleanliness, order, regularity, [and] beauty” it creates in our lives?
© Mary A. Kassian
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Mary, Everyone in my household participates in housework, the rationale being that if you live in the house, you need to be prepared to contribute towards it. Of course, as the wife and mother I do more than my “fair share” but I’m usually pretty sanguine about it. I see it as my way of blessing my family with a clean and pleasant home, good food on the table, clean clothes and so on. I was granted the same blessings by my own mother, and learned to do many household tasks because I, being the oldest child, was expected to help out on a regular basis.
Maybe it’s because I was brought up that way that I’ve never seen housework as demeaning. It’s just a job to be done by all if you want to live in a clean house. Of course the big difference between my own household and my parents’ is that my husband does some major chores in addition to being the main wage-earner, while my father did not. Perhaps that’s what has created the attitude of cooperation and teamwork that generally prevails where chores are concerned!
I don’t mind housework, I am retired now and have plenty of time to do it. But I do think it is wrong that some men see it as purely a woman’s job, I used to work full time although my husband did help I found it hard trying to juggle the two aspects of my life. I do like a clean and tidy home and still do, but I am not at it all of the time regarding cleaning etc. I don’t really see it as demeaning, I get pleasure out of seeing it look nice when I have finished the task, it has been said that it is a good way to keep fit as long as you don’t lift to many heavy objects alone as you can hurt yourself especially your back. I don’t understand these people who live in dirty homes (how clean is your house) for example the tv programme, it must be a health hazard and not good for your well- being in my view, a happy medium that is my answer regarding houswork there are so many other things to do today outside the home so try to do the two I think.