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Welcome! This blog is a look at the social movement I call ‘New Domesticity’ – the fascination with reviving “lost” domestic arts like canning, bread-baking, knitting, chicken-raising, etc. Why are women (and more than a few men) of my generation, the daughters of post-Betty Friedan feminists, embracing the domestic tasks that our mothers and grandmothers so eagerly shrugged off? Why has the image of the blissfully domestic supermom overtaken the Sex & the City-style single urban careerist as the media’s feminine ideal? Where does this movement come from?
In my view, New Domesticity is a result of a number of factors:
1) The economy - the recession is driving people to reevaluate their notions of what constitutes success, and to gain interest in DIY projects.
2) The environment - fears of climate change and other environmental disasters are making people more worried about what they buy and consume. People are becoming more interested in old-fashioned domesticity as a way to live more lightly on the earth.
3) The food system - people are increasingly worried about where food comes from, which makes us more interested in culinary DIY - growing your own veggies, baking your own bread, making your own baby food.
4) Our high-tech world - being in front of a computer all day makes us crave old-fashioned tactile work - kneading bread, knitting, digging in the dirt.
5) Changing standards for parenting - current parenting trends (such as attachment parenting) necessitate a greater commitment to home and family.
6) Dissatisfaction with the workplace - people are unhappy with the recession-era workplace and have become very disillusioned with the idea that work can be fulfilling. If work's not fulfilling, maybe home is?
In this blog, I'll look at different aspects of New Domesticity and ask what it means for women, for men, for families, and for society at large. Most of my research comes from my upcoming book on the topic - "Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity" out May 7.
I'm excited to begin, and I can't wait to hear your opinions on the subject!
