The home: its work and influenceGilman, Charlotte Perkins
General
The home: its work and influence
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
Home
The distinctively home-made product changes far less. We see most
progress in the physical characteristics of the home, its plan,
building, materials, furnishings, and decoration, because all these are
part of the world growth outside. We see less progress in such of the
home industries as remain to us. It should be always held in mind that
the phrase "domestic industry" does not apply to a special kind of
work, but to a certain grade of work, a stage of development through
which all kinds pass. All industries were once "domestic," that is,
were performed at home and in the interests of the family. All
industries have since that remote period risen to higher stages, except
one or two which are still classed as "domestic," and rightly so, since
they are the only industries on earth which have never left their
primal stage. This a very large and important phase of the study of the
home, and will be given due space later.
Least of all do we see progress in the home ideas. The home has changed
much in physical structure, in spite of itself. It has changed somewhat
in its functions, also in spite of itself. But it has changed very
little--painfully little--dangerously little, in its governing
concepts. Naturally ideas change with facts, but if ideas are held to
be sacred and immovable, the facts slide out from under and go on
growing because they must, while the ideas lag further and further
behind. We once held that the earth was flat. This was our concept and
governed our actions. In time, owing to a widening field of action on
the one hand, and a growth of the human brain on the other, we
ascertained the fact that the earth was round. See the larger thought
of Columbus driving him westward, while the governing concepts of the
sailors, proving too strong for him, dragged him back. Then, gradually,
with some difficulty, the idea followed the fact, and has since
penetrated to all minds in civilised countries. But the flatness of the
earth was not an essential religious concept, though it was clung to
strongly by the inert religion of the time; nor was it a domestic
concept, something still more inert. If it had been, it would have
taken far longer to make the change.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account