Posted by go-fish on 2004-11-01 18:37:02
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One thought: no matter how cool and worthy and wonderful and empowering domesticity is, and I do think it is all of those things, it seems to be very very hard to get domestic work valued financially. That may be one reason for an underlying rejection of domesticity by feminism. Even Martha, domestic goddess extraordinaire, has paid employees doing the nitty gritty domestic jobs. That kind of work falls to the women stuck in the lower classes, if I may generalize.
And with global capitalism, most of the goods we as a culture consume are not made domestically, and who knows how many of those goods are produced in sweatshop conditions. People on the whole just aren't willing to pay the price for items produced by women who are paid a living wage.
This issue is what excites me the most about the Internet. I see it as opening up this whole new venue for cottage industry, as evidenced by the proliferation of women-powered websites selling their wares! I think it is so very great! DIY is the ultimate feminist statement, if you're looking to make one! This adds a whole new value to consumer goods.
