housework

as the woman sings in the black musical "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope": "Show me that special gene that says I was born to make the beds." Housework as a career is a relatively recent invention, dating from the post-industrial revolution. In 1737 in England, for example, more than 98% of married women worked outside the home. By 1911, more than 90% were employed solely as housewives. This pattern was repeated throughout the industrialized world. Today, housework "chore wars" are a common feature of people living together. In The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing, Casey Miller and Kate Swift (with credit to Marjorie Vogel for the insight), point out that "many women do not use the term work to describe their housekeeping or homemaking activities. Nor, in general, do members of their families. A woman 'stays home' rather than 'works at home.' She 'fixes dinner' rather than 'works in the kitchen.' In contrast, activities men traditionally undertake around the house are usually dignified by the name work. A man 'works on the car' or 'does his own electrical work.' He may have a 'workshop' in the basement." In summary: "Domestic work, is, after all, both tedious and repetitive, and it is not surprising that most women and all men avoid as much of it as possible" (Mary Stocks, My Commonplace Book). Use the term carefully. See also housewife, man's work, second shift, working father, working mother/working wife/working woman.