'Just a Housewife' : The Rise and Fall of Domesticity in America

Housewives are a vast portion of humanity, yet they have received very little attention, let alone respect. Now Glenna Matthews, who spent many years as just a housewife before becoming a scholar of American history, sets out to redress this imbalance. What she has found will surprise many readers: While there was always greater esteem for the male world of work, in the mid-nineteenth century, she maintains there was such widespread reverence for the home that housewives had considerable self-respect. The early stages of industrialization—the invention of the stove and the sewing machine, for example—made possible a craft tradition of cooking, baking and sewing that gave women great satisfaction and a place in the world. The home had an important religious role and was seen as the center of republican virtue. There was an intermingling of private and public spheres for both men and women, and marriage was generally companionate. One hundred years later, even though women had new opportunities, most women were still occupying the role of housewife, yet much less esteem was attached to that role. On the basis of an examination of a vast array of sources, ranging from novels like Huckleberry Finn , Uncle Tom's Cabin and Main Street , as well as letters, popular magazines, and cookbooks, Matthews sets out to examine what women had, and what they have lost in modern times. She argues that the culture of profesionalism of the late nineteenth century and the culture of consumption that came to fruition in the 1920s combined to kill off the cult of domesticity and led to what Betty Friedan identified in Feminine Mystique as the problem that has no name—the emptiness and devaluation of many housewive's lives. This is an important, challenging book that sheds new light on a central aspect of human experience, the essential task of providing for a society's nurture and daily maintenance. Housewives are a vast portion of humanity, yet they have received very little attention, let alone respect. Now Glenna Matthews, who spent many years as "just a housewife" before becoming a scholar of American history, sets out to redress this imbalance. What she has found will surprise many readers: While there was always greater esteem for the male world of work, in the mid-nineteenth century, she maintains there was such widespread reverence for the home that housewives had considerable self-respect. The early stages of industrialization--the invention of the stove and the sewing machine, for example--made possible a craft tradition of cooking, baking and sewing that gave women great satisfaction and a place in the world. The home had an important religious role and was seen as the center of republican virtue. There was an intermingling of private and public spheres for both men and women, and marriage was generally companionate. One hundred years later, even though women had new opportunities, most women were still occupying the role of housewife, yet much less esteem was attached to that role. On the basis of an examination of a vast array of sources, ranging from novels like , and __Street____Feminine Mystique__ This is an important, challenging book that sheds new light on a central aspect of human experience, the essential task of providing for a society's nurture and daily maintenance. Annotation Housewives constitute a large section of the population, yet they have received very little attention, let alone respect. Glenna Matthews, who herself spent many years as "just a housewife" before becoming a scholar of American history, sets out to redress this imbalance. While the male world of work has always received the most respect, Matthews maintains that widespread reverence for the home prevailed in the nineteenth century. The early stages of industrialization made possible a strong tradition of cooking, baking, and sewing that gave women greatsatisfaction and a place in the world. Viewed as the center of republican virtue, the home also played an important religious role. Examining novels, letters, popular magazines, and cookbooks, Matthews seeks to depict what women had and what they have lost in modern times. She argues that theculture of professionalism in the late nineteenth century and the culture of consumption that came to fruition in the 1920s combined to kill off the "cult of domesticity." This important, challenging book sheds new light on a central aspect of human experience: the essential task of providing asociety's nurture and daily maintenance Housewives constitute a large section of the population, yet they have received very little attention, let alone respect. Glenna Matthews, who herself spent many years as'just a housewife'before becoming a scholar of American history, sets out to redress this imbalance. While the male world of work has always received the most respect, Matthews maintains that widespread reverence for the home prevailed in the nineteenth century. The early stages of industrialization made possible a strong tradition of cooking, baking, and sewing that gave women great satisfaction and a place in the world. Viewed as the center of republican virtue, the home also played an important religious role. Examining novels, letters, popular magazines, and cookbooks, Matthews seeks to depict what women had and what they have lost in modern times. She argues that the culture of professionalism in the late nineteenth century and the culture of consumption that came to fruition in the 1920s combined to kill off the'cult of domesticity.'This important, challenging book sheds new light on a central aspect of human experience: the essential task of providing a society's nurture and daily maintenance. Housewives constitute a large section of the population, yet they have received very little attention, let alone respect. Glenna Matthews, who herself spent many years as "just a housewife" before becoming a scholar of American history, sets out to redress this imbalance. While the male world of work has always received the most respect, Matthews maintains that widespread reverence for the home prevailed in the nineteenth century. The early stages of industrialization made possible a strong tradition of cooking, baking, and sewing that gave women great satisfaction and a place in the world. Viewed as the center of republican virtue, the home also played an important religious role. Examining novels, letters, popular magazines, and cookbooks, Matthews seeks to depict what women had and what they have lost in modern times. She argues that the culture of professionalism in the late nineteenth century and the culture of consumption that came to fruition in the 1920s combined to kill off the "cult of domesticity." This important, challenging book sheds new light on a central aspect of human the essential task of providing a society's nurture and daily maintenance. The author shows how the nineteenth century's 'cult of domesticity' had invested the home with great importance - as the centre of republican virtue, as the source of religious values and as an area of heady female responsiblities. But this emphasis meant that women were relegated to the domestic sphere, especially when Darwin's 'survival of the fittest' doctrine seemed to indicate that women were physically inferior to men. Ironically, the industrialization of the home in the early twentieth century failed to improve women's lot; on the contrary, it helped lose the home its place of centrality in American culture and produced a terrible dilemma for women by urging them to go into the work place but offering them very little social support for doing so Examines The Role Of Housewife And The Esteem Attached To The Position Both In The Nineteenth Century And In The Twentieth. The Emergence Of A New Ideology -- The Golden Age Of Domesticity -- Domestic Feminism And The World Outside The Home -- Toward An Industrialized Home -- Darwinism And Domesticity: The Impact Of Evolutionary Theory On The Status Of The Home -- The Housewife And The Home Economist -- Domesticity And The Culture Of Consumption -- Naming The Problem -- Afterword -- Appendix. Glenna Matthews. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 227-262. Annotation This volume depicts the changing attitudes towards domesticity in this country, from widespread reverence for the home in the nineteenth century to the lack of respect and attention that house-wives have received and continue to receive in this century. Examining novels, letters, popular magazines, and cookbooks, Matthews argues that the culture of professionalism in the late nineteenth century and the culture of consumption that came to fruition in the 1920s combined to kill off the "cult of domesticity." IN 1750 THE COLONIAL AMERICAN HOME was an essential locus of production for the entire society.