Synopses & Reviews
Houseworkand#8212;often trivialized or simply overlooked in public discourseand#8212;contributes in a complex and essential way to the form that families and societies assume. In this innovative study, Marjorie L. DeVault explores the implications of "feeding the family" from the perspective of those who do that work. Along the way, DeVault offers a new vocabulary for discussing nurturance as a basis of group life and sociability.
Drawing from interviews conducted in 1982-83 in a diverse group of American households, DeVault reveals the effort and skill behind the "invisible" work of shopping, cooking, and serving meals. She then shows how this work can become oppressive for women, drawing them into social relations that construct and maintain their subordinate position in household life.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-257) and index.
About the Author
Marjorie L. DeVault is associate professor in the Department of Sociology and the Women's Studies Program at Syracuse University.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part One: The Work of "Feeding a Family"
1. Doing Family Meals
2. Provisioning
3. Constructing the Family
Part Two: Organization of the Work
4. Feeding as "Women's Work"
5. Never Done
6. Conflict and Deference
Part Three: Feeding Work and Social Class
7. Affluence and Poverty
8. The Significance of Style
Conclusion
Appendix: Profiles of Named Informants
References
Index