4 ms·

One type of work is called "the oldest profession". Not sure how that is consolidated with a double standard view.

bobthepanda 6y ago
Also, this isn't historically true; women were and are a historically significant part of the industrial labor force, and before that did a good share of agricultural work as well. Certainly industrial labor had gender divides, but it's not a strange fluke that, say, most of the people who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire were women.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  Somewhen in the last two centruries, the general population seems to have internalized the view that making money = work, keeping a house functioning = not work. It's peculiar, if you think about it, given how big a multiplier the latter is to the former. I'm guessing this is one of the early case of society falling victim to metrics - making money is easy to quantify and compare, housekeeping isn't.
  - ralph84 6y ago
    Feminism stigmatized keeping a house functioning. “Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen” became a slur thrown at women who had the nerve to not serve a corporate master.
    - api 6y ago
      One of my rules is: society always over-corrects. I think it’s because bombast and mockery gets more attention than rational and balanced thought. We went from “women can’t do what men do” or “women should never have careers because it’s bad for the family” to “any woman who stays home is letting herself down,” or is stupid, etc. How about this: women who want careers can have them, women who don’t can stay home, and both are okay because people have the right to choose their course in life.
    - Anthony-G 6y ago
      I’m not going to downvote because it’s true there are feminists (including second-wave feminists who fought the really tough political struggles) who have shared the view that working in the home / building a family has less value than that of earning a wage / building a career. However, feminism is a (very) broad church and the majority of feminist that I’ve come across would argue for legislative and other societal barriers be removed so that a woman is free to choose between motherhood and career – or whatever balance works best for her own inclinations and circumstances.
      - Chris2048 6y ago
        > However, feminism is a (very) broad church and yet, feminists will talk about feminism in overall positive terms without qualification. If it's a broad church, it can't be all positive.
        worik 6y ago
        They do, do they?
        Chris2048 6y ago
        yes.. anything useful to add?
        worik 6y ago
        Very useful to tell feminists what they are doing. We are useful by default. They have to prove themselves
        GoblinSlayer 6y ago
        It's required by emancipation. Men who didn't prove themselves are useless too. And not only through words, but deeds too.
        Chris2048 6y ago
  - permo-w 6y ago
    I think you’re confusing the word “work” with “having a job”. No one, as far as I know, thinks that running a house isn’t work. But they also don’t think that it’s a job

Also, this isn't historically true; women were and are a historically significant part of the industrial labor force, and before that did a good share of agricultural work as well. Certainly industrial labor had gender divides, but it's not a strange fluke that, say, most of the people who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire were women.

TeMPOraL 6y ago
Somewhen in the last two centruries, the general population seems to have internalized the view that making money = work, keeping a house functioning = not work. It's peculiar, if you think about it, given how big a multiplier the latter is to the former. I'm guessing this is one of the early case of society falling victim to metrics - making money is easy to quantify and compare, housekeeping isn't.
- ralph84 6y ago
  Feminism stigmatized keeping a house functioning. “Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen” became a slur thrown at women who had the nerve to not serve a corporate master.
  - api 6y ago
    One of my rules is: society always over-corrects. I think it’s because bombast and mockery gets more attention than rational and balanced thought. We went from “women can’t do what men do” or “women should never have careers because it’s bad for the family” to “any woman who stays home is letting herself down,” or is stupid, etc. How about this: women who want careers can have them, women who don’t can stay home, and both are okay because people have the right to choose their course in life.
  - Anthony-G 6y ago
    I’m not going to downvote because it’s true there are feminists (including second-wave feminists who fought the really tough political struggles) who have shared the view that working in the home / building a family has less value than that of earning a wage / building a career. However, feminism is a (very) broad church and the majority of feminist that I’ve come across would argue for legislative and other societal barriers be removed so that a woman is free to choose between motherhood and career – or whatever balance works best for her own inclinations and circumstances.
    - Chris2048 6y ago
      > However, feminism is a (very) broad church and yet, feminists will talk about feminism in overall positive terms without qualification. If it's a broad church, it can't be all positive.
      - worik 6y ago
        They do, do they?
        Chris2048 6y ago
        yes.. anything useful to add?
        worik 6y ago
        Very useful to tell feminists what they are doing. We are useful by default. They have to prove themselves
        GoblinSlayer 6y ago
        It's required by emancipation. Men who didn't prove themselves are useless too. And not only through words, but deeds too.
        Chris2048 6y ago
- permo-w 6y ago
  I think you’re confusing the word “work” with “having a job”. No one, as far as I know, thinks that running a house isn’t work. But they also don’t think that it’s a job