Explore the latest books of this year!
Bookbot

More Work for Mother

The Ironies of Household Technology From the Open Hearth to the Microwave

More about the book

In this classic work of women's history (winner of the 1984 Dexter Prize from the Society for the History of Technology), Ruth Schwartz Cowan shows how and why modern women devote as much time to housework as did their colonial sisters. In lively and provocative prose, Cowan explains how the modern conveniences—washing machines, white flour, vacuums, commercial cotton—seemed at first to offer working-class women middle-class standards of comfort. Over time, however, it became clear that these gadgets and gizmos mainly replaced work previously conducted by men, children, and servants. Instead of living lives of leisure, middle-class women found themselves struggling to keep up with ever higher standards of cleanliness.

Book purchase

More Work for Mother, Ruth Schwartz Cowan

Language
Released
2014
product-detail.submit-box.info.binding
(Paperback),
Book condition
Good
Price
€6.49

Payment methods

No one has rated yet.Add rating

Title
More Work for Mother
Subtitle
The Ironies of Household Technology From the Open Hearth to the Microwave
Language
English
Released
2014
Format
Paperback
Pages
288
ISBN10
0465047327
ISBN13
9780465047321
Series
Description
In this classic work of women's history (winner of the 1984 Dexter Prize from the Society for the History of Technology), Ruth Schwartz Cowan shows how and why modern women devote as much time to housework as did their colonial sisters. In lively and provocative prose, Cowan explains how the modern conveniences—washing machines, white flour, vacuums, commercial cotton—seemed at first to offer working-class women middle-class standards of comfort. Over time, however, it became clear that these gadgets and gizmos mainly replaced work previously conducted by men, children, and servants. Instead of living lives of leisure, middle-class women found themselves struggling to keep up with ever higher standards of cleanliness.