The Role of the Homemaker

The stereotype of the housewife is something we overlook rather often, yet the homemaker is one of the most fixed roles in our society.

To start, women's culture, whether through literature or media, is almost always regarded as more trivial than male culture, feeding into the common ignorant viewpoint that the house is the proper place for women to work. Women's magazines began in the Victorian ages and were "catered to a female sex virtually in domestic bondage" (Wolf 62). They were an outlet for women in otherwise rather dull and demeaning everyday lives.

Wolf also argues that religion has taken on a similar role in the Victorian times. She mentions female piety and says, "From a male-dominated society's point of view, it kept educated, leisured middle-class female energies harmlessly, even usefully, diverted from rebellion..." (Wolf 92).

Culture today caters towards stay-at-home women. Being a working mother is getting increasingly difficult, and many women are choosing (or being forced, depending on how you look at it) to stay home and raise children after giving birth. If this is a choice, I find it at admirable one, as being a mother is perhaps one of the hardest and most noble professions. However, if women are being forced into this role either for economic or social reasons, this is despicable.

Advertisers and media executives feed into this cycle and Wolf points out, "Newspapers relegate women's issues to the 'women's page'; TV programming consigns 'women's stories' to the daytime" (Wolf 71).

Wolf quotes Betty Friedan as saying, "Why is it never said that the really crucial function... that women serve as housewives is to buy more things for the house?" (Wolf 66).

Even on some of my favorite television shows, women are portrayed as housewives and homemakers, and although their responsibilities are often highlighted, I think that as a society we often overlook equally the hardships of a housewife, but also the obstacles that working mothers and wives face.

Another (very timely) example of the Beauty Myth being put into practice in religion and politics, is with some stances by the Republican party in the build up to the 2012 election. Republican candidate Mitt Romney stated that he listens to his wife's advice when it comes to making his policies, however she "has never worked a day in her life" and therefore is in no way qualified to make decisions representing the American female public. On the other hand, Romney's opposition, Rick Santorum, has his own views when it comes to women. Although I would define my political beliefs as rather moderate leaning towards liberal (but in no way completely left-wing) I find Santorum to be a terrifying individual. Not only has he spoken out about opposing abortion and wishing to ban it, but he has openly expressed his views that the workplace is not the proper place for a woman and that women should be homemakers, as that is their true calling. The fact that a man, and a politician and presidential hopeful no less, could be this misogynistic and ignorant makes my blood boil.