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willow wrote

is there a critique here of the oft-heard idea that men should do more cleaning? that perhaps a better solution is to do less cleaning overall?

should we destroy cleaning? have i just discovered nihilism and now want to apply it to everything?

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onymous wrote

Hmmm! Maybe there's something there that has to do with, like, "the domicile" as the center of domestication? Or as a base at least? Indoors/outdoors: the outdoors are uncivilized and uncontrolled, and the indoors are civilized and controlled. It requires constant activity in the form of labor to maintain this controlled, human-dominated environment. Traditionally, "men" maintain and expand empire in the field, while "women" maintain and expand empire by...what, maintaining this controlled space that frames their lives? And requires them to depend on the products of empire through it? And then provides the controlled environment for the intimate domination of their children's lives, which expands empire reproductively.

It feels like I'm missing a lot of nuance, but I think this anti-cleaning thing is onto something!

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[deleted] wrote (edited )

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willow wrote

i mean, i'm not suggesting we should start leaving dishes on the side until they start to grow mold. aside from being disgusting that just makes them harder to clean later.

but i was struck by what the article mentioned about cleaning up when visitors come over. why do we do that? are we trying to hide something, are we ashamed we live like everyone else? if woman is always cast as the house's carer, does that mean the house... i don't know where i'm going with this, but something like: what is the connection between the house and the woman under patriarchy, how does that affect how we work to present the house to others.

feel free to ignore me, i'm just rambling.

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