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Domestic Service In The Twentieth Century

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Great Britain’s persistent attention to class lies in its long cherished tradition over numerous generations. A clear and defining illustration is that of domestic service. In Britain, domestic service had been the largest occupation since the reign of Queen Victoria and it continued to expand enormously in subsequent years. Its development along the first half of the twentieth century is crucial for understanding the role of social class during the inter-war and post-war periods. In her article, Selina Todd states that “Domestic service was central to the negotiations over modern social relations that shaped the first half of Britain’s twentieth century” (2009: 203). It was the consequences of World War I that contributed to the beginning of change, and new job opportunities emerged for many servants; however, demand arose again during the inter-war period. By the post-war period, domestic service in Great Britain would not remain as prominent as it once were. Before 1914, the employment of servants was seen as a symbol of respectability and social status. By judging a family from the heritage they had and the number of servants they employed, the Edwardians strengthened the aforementioned pretentious ideal of class. A clear defined hierarchy was established in the …show more content…

Lethbridge comments on how families, who had recently returned from long years in service of the Empire, treated their staff. “Margaret Powell’s despised employer Lady Gibbons . . . had spent years in India in the heyday of the Raj and now, . . . on a pension that could barely stretch to a cook and parlourmaid, was terrified of losing caste” (2013: 111). Throughout the vast majority of the book, Powell writes with an angering attitude to ‘Them’, it will only be in one occasion that she speaks well about her employers; the following quote summarises what happened at that time – servants were tired of being submissive and fed up with not being

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However, it was not only within the industrial arena that class disputes further divided the new nation. As the war progressed, Michael McKernan asserts, “class tensions were exacerbated as middle class commentators criticised the working classes for a perceived lack of commitment to the war effort”. Middle class women, their gender role linked to patriotic participation in the war effort through

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Likewise, Bruley strengthens the argument that ‘One of the ironies of war is that women on whole emerged in 1918 healthier and enjoyed a higher standard of living than in 1914’. Bruley’s view has limited validity because women proved that being employed helped them mentally and physically as work occupied their mind and not their husbands. This helped them build communities of support for their love ones in war. Women were unifying as unmarried mothers, who were usually shunned away in society, were allowed to return to work, although at Woolwich children of these women were cared for in a separate nursery from children of married women. This shows that within society their status now affected them rather than their gender as ‘war made them see women’s traditional roles as wives and mothers as even more

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Rather than women making stuff her job was rather than making stuff, their job was to enable their spouse to make stuff, by providing food, and a clean living space, but also by providing “non-market values” such as love, friendship, and mutual obligation.” The idea of true equality between genders was not embraced and despite the growth in new market economy women’s opportunities for employment were very limited. Women had very low paying jobs and in most states, women had no control over their wages if they weren’t married. Many of these women that found these jobs were in factories, or as domestic servants or seamstresses. Middle class women found work in teaching, but according to the cult of domesticity middle class women’s place was to stay at

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In the 1800’s women were expected to do all of the housework, take care, and educate children, while men were out doing labor work. Women were trying to find their freedom during this time while still doing their jobs. The Cult of Domesticity was important because it showed the tradition of women which was staying at home and doing all of the housework. They did not have the same rights as men did and were not allowed to do many things, such as voting. During this Market Revolution, the economy had changed in a way that most people made things to sell and used that money to buy what they needed.

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During the time that these two documents were created, America was going through social and economic changes. The Cult of Domesticity was becoming a social norm throughout the Nation. Women were encouraged to not only be responsible for household duties, but also to create a nurturing environment for their family and husband. Women were taking more responsibility in educating their children and providing guidance. During the 1800s there was a unification of the economy.

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This was a similar view among Americans at this time, so it was accepted by society. The Cult of Domesticity increased society’s belief that women were secondary to men and in turn, affected the job opportunities available for women. For example, document 2 demonstrates that most women had a job in domestic service and as the Civil War approached women became very involved in industrial

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