The (Not So) Modern Cult of Domesticity
What does the word domestic mean? The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word domestic as “relating to the work such as cooking and cleaning that is done in your home”. Now, be completely honest, who immediately comes to mind when hearing this definition? Yes! Come on, say it……your mother! (that’s the right answer, sadly).
The Cult of Domesticity, otherwise known as “the cult of true womanhood” (by its supporters, of course) is nothing more than an opinion generated out of the 1800's. Back in those days it was believed that women should stay at home and do absolutely no work outside of the home. The followers of this train of thought agreed that there only exist four things that women should be and that is that:
- Women should be more religious than men.
- Pure in heart, mind and body.
- Submissive to their husbands.
- Domestic beings (stay at home mothers).
Now these rules seem completely ABSURD if you ask me! Aren’t you glad you don’t have to be a woman living in those ancient times? Well, although most women reject these views now, it’s core sentiment permeates our society till this day.
Gender as a socially constructed entity provides a sense of structure and stratification in our hierarchical society, which initiates a process in early childhood that helps to create the social differences between males and females. As Vaughan states, gendering our children is “perhaps the greatest (and smallest) mistake humanity has made” (1). An unlikely yet highly effective tool which commences the gendering of young children are, in fact, the toys that they play with.
In any given toy store one will stumble across walls plastered with pink and blue sectioned areas that depict where the boy and girl toys are located. It is now, more than ever before, an undeniable fact that toys have gradually been converted into objects that are highly directed to the users prescribed gender. Through popular toys such as the “You and Me” infant doll set, young girls learn that their place is in the home taking care of and nurturing their children. Baby dolls ultimately demonstrate that gender behavior is the result of nurture not nature by amplifying a female’s nurturing flair.
In numerous toy emporiums prospective consumers will be greeted by carefully sorted sections, each one obviously highly partitioned according to gender. The pink glitter adorned section is patently reserved for little girls. Within this segment one will find popular categories of girl directed playthings such as dress up and pretend play, dolls, and lastly infant dolls. It is safe to acknowledge that toys that are directed at young girls share two central themes: beauty and domesticity. A majority of girl inspired toys promote beauty objects such as vanity sets, princess inspired dresses and gold-accented crowns. Other toys that are commonly found in this section foster domesticity, they include a wide range of doll houses, miniature cleaning tools such as mops and brooms, and of course infant dolls.
Furthermore, although toy stores offer an abundance of toys for young girls most of these do not promote ingenuity, rather they push toys that encourage domestic abilities and instruction oriented play. These toys make up the greater majority of toys directed at girls as young as two. It thus seems that very early in their development, girls and boys experience environments that are dissimilar, which effect their later development of specific abilities and preferred activities. Popular play objects such as infant dolls are the perfect example of toys that aid young girls into becoming what society deems appropriate for them, being mothers and domestic beings.
“ We need a new word-gift for all of those small creatures who are our greatest gifts to each other, to the future and to themselves. Using this new word-gift, one term for both genders, we could stop recreating the problems that are destroying our species, our mothers and our Mother Earth “- Vaughan.
