In this engaging conversation, historian Emily Callaci shares insights from her book on the Wages for Housework movement, emphasizing its relevance today. Professor Rosie Campbell discusses alarming trends in public attitudes towards feminism, particularly among young men. Writer Victoria Smith critiques the kindness trend, arguing it undermines women's roles. Together, they explore persistent household labor inequalities, generational shifts in gender perceptions, and the need for structural changes in social justice, urging continued advocacy rather than complacency.
41:37
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Wages for Housework's Goal
Wages for Housework aims to uplift housework/care work.
It seeks to recognize its value for societal reproduction, regardless of who performs it.
insights INSIGHT
The Value of Housework
The Wages for Housework campaign aimed to challenge the undervaluing of housework.
Critics feared reinforcing gender roles, but supporters believed acknowledging it was crucial for change.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The "Tradwife" Trope
The "tradwife" trope on social media promotes traditional womanhood, critiquing feminism's alleged neglect of caregiving.
However, this romanticized view ignores the unglamorous aspects of housework and feminism's engagement with care work.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny by Kate Manne is a work of moral philosophy that examines the dynamics of misogyny. Manne introduces the concept of the 'human giver' and 'human being' to illustrate how societal expectations place undue burdens on women. The book explores how women are often expected to prioritize the needs of others over their own, leading to emotional exhaustion and burnout. It analyzes the ways in which women are punished for not conforming to these expectations. Manne's work provides a critical framework for understanding the systemic nature of misogyny and its impact on women's lives.
Wages for Housework
Wages for Housework
The Story of a Movement, an Idea, a Promise
Emily Callaci
Unkind
Unkind
Victoria Smith
Of Boys and Men
Richard V. Reeves
In 'Of Boys and Men,' Richard V. Reeves delves into the complex and urgent crisis of boyhood and manhood. He discusses how profound economic and social changes have led to many boys and men losing ground in education, the workplace, and family life. Reeves presents detailed research on the structural challenges, including lower academic performance, declining labor force participation, and the specific hardships faced by black boys and men. He argues that both conservative and progressive politicians have failed to provide effective solutions and offers fresh, innovative proposals such as delaying boys' entry into school, increasing male teachers, and improving vocational education. The book emphasizes the need for a positive vision of masculinity in a more equal world without compromising gender equality[3][4][5].
From the early 1970s feminist activists from across the globe campaigned under a single demand – Wages for Housework. The historian Emily Callaci traces the lives and ideas of its key creators in her new book, Wages for Housework: The Story of a Movement, an Idea, a Promise. The campaign highlighted the need to change the way work, and especially what has been traditionally deemed women’s work, is valued.
Although men are still paid more than women, and women still play a greater role in the home, recent polling reveals that nearly half of Britons say women's equality has gone far enough. And that figure has been rising significantly in the last decade. Rosie Campbell, Professor of Politics at King’s College London also points out that a growing number of young men believe it will be harder to be a man than a woman in 20 years’ time.
So is it time for women to stop campaigning and #JustBeKind? Definitely not, according to the writer Victoria Smith. In her new book, UnKind, she unpicks the kindness trend that emerged in the 2020s, and argues that women and girls have again been coerced into a passive role.
Start the Week 
