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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. |