The sociology of housework revisited: Just a housewife after all these years

This small study follows in the footsteps of Oakley’s (1974) The Sociology of Housework. Based on interviews with 40 London housewives more than 45 years after its publication, it is an exploration of the lived experience of five contemporary working class London housewives. Thematic Analysis revealed striking parallels with Oakley’s findings: nearly half a century later, gender ideologies are still restricting, damaging and confining some women into the home, with their work not acknowledged as work, with no independent selves, no control over finances and no way of meeting their personal needs.