(side note - I love the fact that I'm in college and I can get emotional over a textbook).
...anyway. As mentioned, I was studying the Industrial revolution. What I'd never heard before in my American history classes was the story of what happened when factories started going up and work left northern homes. Let me clarify that I am not saying all women had the same experience, or that women's role in society pre-industrial revolution was perfect. However, when the majority of production in the north moved to factories, women's position in the home went through a dramatic shift. Women's role as homemakers suddenly consisted of a lot less - they were no longer in charge of producing many of the vital necessities for their home. Many women, especially young ones, left their homes for factories, and provided for basic necessities that way. I feel like this transition, for me, helps to explain the way society often looks down on motherhood and considers stay-at-home mothers idle and unproductive. I felt (albeit illogically) like I'd suddenly realized the absence of something precious and dear that was lost before I'd known that it existed. It's funny, because I feel very strongly that I want my own education, independence and career, all ideals of the 'modern' industrial woman. But maybe society as a whole lost something when we moved out of our homes - I guess we gave up whatever it was that we lost for industrialization and technological independence....hmm. More thoughts coming. ( :
1 comment:
very thoughtful - I love the deepness. :)
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