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

by Glenna Matthews

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195038592
• ISBN13: 9780195038590
• Release Date: October 1987
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Well document explanation regarding civic virtues of home.

The concluding thought of this work is that "a successful society and successful homes are inextricably intertwined" Pivitol to my personal growth in realizing and peacefully accepting my importance at work, as an attorney, and my importance at home, as a mother, wife, and spiritual mentor for my family. Before reading this I hypothesized that the duties of home had been denegrated becuase of the struggle of women. After reading Ms. Matthews work I realized there have been many other American influences that have caused us to neglect the fundamentals of nurturing ourselves and those we love through our activities at home. The impact of this neglect is the work of others, and personally resulted in a leaking roof that had gone unrepaired for months, one inch of water on our laundry room floor, and no milk for our 2 year old in the refrigerator. Neither me nor my husband, a second year resident could take time away from "more important" responsibilities. The most refreshing idea supported by Ms. Mathews was that the 1820s was a time in America's history, in which great thinkers (women and men)viewed the activities of home as central to raising and nurturing citizens capable of participating in a democratic form of government. WOW! Such community value for the time spent at home playing with children, fellowshiping over a nutritious home cooked meal, reading books, etc. helped me become more content and noble as I more fully engaged the responsibilities occuring at home.This work is thick with references to other works: revisiting American history from the perspective of the institution of home, separating it from the history of gender.