Just a Housewife'

The Rise and Fall of Domesticity in America

By: Glenna Matthews

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Paperback | 11 May 1989

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Paperback
300 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.7 x 14.0 x 2.4

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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.

Industry Reviews

`this groundbreaking book provides an essential historical backdrop to Betty Friedan's classic The Feminine Mystique Library Journal `Her scholarly but very readable history gives women, like other oppressed minorities, the past they can be proud of.' San Jose Mercury News 'a lively account ... Matthews' portrayal of the currents surrounding the 19th-century household are fresh and convincing.' The Philadelphia Inquirer 'her experience and good common sense enliven, and enrich, this valuable study. One looks forward to her next book.' Washington Post

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