A housewife is a woman who dedicates herself to the tasks of the home. As for the activities that are carried out, the list would be almost endless: washing clothes and ironing them, cooking, cleaning the house, shopping regularly and, if the family has children, it is also necessary to include all the tasks related to them (accompany them to school or help them with their schoolwork).
A job very little recognized socially
The decision to take care of household chores depends on many factors, such as the family's financial situation, the training of the wife or the care of the children.
Although there is no single profile of a housewife, in most cases this choice is related to the care and attention of children. In this sense, many women decide to temporarily abandon their work activity to focus on their children. This choice has advantages and disadvantages, since the children are better cared for but, on the other hand, the return to professional activity can be difficult for the woman.
In general, housewives are not socially recognized. Keep in mind that it is an unpaid activity and that it does not require specific training. This creates a curious paradox: housewives work hard but do not charge for it.
The housewife activity has advantages and disadvantages
If a woman freely decides to dedicate herself to housework because it is her vocation, it is a legitimate choice. In fact, your daily activity has a series of objective advantages: you do not have bosses or labor disputes, you can organize your own hours and you do not need to travel anywhere. However, we must not forget that there are also a whole series of negative aspects:
1) the daily workday can be monotonous and not very stimulating,
2) financially there is no reward for work done and
3) socially there is a certain isolation.
The concept of housewife has been changing throughout history
Already in ancient civilizations, women had a secondary role with respect to men. Its main activity was centered in the home. This female role has not completely disappeared, but in most countries women have gradually entered the world of work and their situation has been equated with that of men.
If we take the case of Spain as a reference, until the 1960s the vast majority of women were housewives and their activity received a curious name, their labors.
Photos: iStock - Laser222 / Oleg Gorbachev
