Women and Economics · Chapter
XIII explained
This chapter examines the difficulty of imagining motherhood under conditions of economic independence for women, arguing that the private home and traditional family structure are no longer sufficient for raising children in a modern, soci
What happens
This chapter examines the difficulty of imagining motherhood under conditions of economic independence for women, arguing that the private home and traditional family structure are no longer sufficient for raising children in a modern, socially evolving world. It critiques the current sexuo-economic relation that confines women to personal service within the home, which limits their development and the moral education of children, and calls for a transformation toward socialized motherhood and child-rearing.
Themes in this chapter
Economic Dependence of Women
The chapter argues that women's economic dependence on men leads to 'servant-motherhood' and limits their ability to raise children for modern social life.
Sexuo-Economic Relation
The sexuo-economic relation is identified as the root cause of the limitations on motherhood and child-rearing in the private home.
Motherhood and Maternity
The chapter critiques traditional motherhood as insufficient and proposes a 'nobler mother' who, through economic independence and social service, can better rear children.
Social Evolution and Progress
The author argues that social progress requires a change in family structure and child-rearing methods, moving beyond the primitive home.
Home and Family Structure
The chapter discusses the inadequacy of the private home as a center for child development in an era of specialization and social duty.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator presents a sociological analysis of motherhood, family life, and economic dependence, using 'we' and 'our' to address the reader.
Key passages
“In reconstructing in our minds the position of woman under conditions of economic independence, it is most difficult to think of her as a mother.”
It is hard for us to imagine a mother who is economically independent, because we are so used to the old ways of motherhood.
Introduces the central challenge of rethinking motherhood outside economic dependence.
“The child learns more of the virtues needed in modern life—of fairness, of justice, of comradeship, of collective interest and action—in a common school than can be taught in the most perfect family circle.”
A child gains better social virtues like fairness and cooperation in a public school than in even the best home environment.
Highlights the insufficiency of the private home for modern moral education.
“This servant-motherhood, with all its unavoidable limitation and ill results, is the concomitant of the economic dependence of woman upon man, the direct and inevitable effect of the sexuo-economic relation.”
This degraded form of motherhood, with all its drawbacks, is a direct result of women's economic dependence on men.
Links the problems of motherhood to the sexuo-economic relation.
“The economically independent mother, widened and freed, strengthened and developed, by her social service, will do better service as mother than it has been possible to her before.”
A mother who is economically independent and engaged in social work will be a better mother than one who is not.
Envisions an improved motherhood through economic freedom and social participation.