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> The work of Ruth Schwartz Cowan demonstrates this dynamic in the arrival of appliances like microwaves, washing machines and refrigerators in the first half o

> The work of Ruth Schwartz Cowan demonstrates this dynamic in the arrival of appliances like microwaves, washing machines and refrigerators in the first half of the 20th century... Cowan showed that these technologies did not necessarily result in a net reduction of women’s housework hours. Instead, the new electrical machines were often replacing the paid labor of domestic workers. American families in the early 20th century, even economically “uncomfortable” ones, often maintained day workers or live-in workers as a regular supply of labor. In the U.S., only a minority of families ever employed domestic workers on a regular basis. Most people did not employ domestic workers. Domestic workers, for example, did not generally employ domestic workers. Electrical appliances did decrease the amount of labor required to run a house. That's why families today, who work more hours on average, can run a house without employing domestic laborers.

garden_hermit 5y ago
That description really does a disservice to Cowan's work. A more general argument was that: - Prior to the industrial revolution, men's and women's work was distinct, but reciprocal—they both contributed towards the general maintenance of a home (farming, animal care, cooking, cleaning, chopping wood, repair, etc.) - With the industrial revolution, men left for work, leaving many women solely responsible for nearly all home-based tasks. Household tasks became associated with women's work. - Over time, electric appliances reduced the necessary labor to perform their household tasks. However, shifting expectations of motherhood and cleanliness standards resulted in less time saved than you would expect. Before washing machines, clothes were cleaned only seldomly, but with them, it became a weekly or even daily task. The domestic workers part of the book is real and was common, but I'd hesitate to use it to exemplify the overall argument of the book.

garden_hermit 5y ago

That description really does a disservice to Cowan's work. A more general argument was that: - Prior to the industrial revolution, men's and women's work was distinct, but reciprocal—they both contributed towards the general maintenance of a home (farming, animal care, cooking, cleaning, chopping wood, repair, etc.) - With the industrial revolution, men left for work, leaving many women solely responsible for nearly all home-based tasks. Household tasks became associated with women's work. - Over time, electric appliances reduced the necessary labor to perform their household tasks. However, shifting expectations of motherhood and cleanliness standards resulted in less time saved than you would expect. Before washing machines, clothes were cleaned only seldomly, but with them, it became a weekly or even daily task. The domestic workers part of the book is real and was common, but I'd hesitate to use it to exemplify the overall argument of the book.