Domestic Service

CHAPTER II. Historical Aspects of Domestic Employments

HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF DOMESTIC EMPLOYMENTS

Condition of industries in the eighteenth century 7 Inventions of the latter part of the century 7 Immediate result of these inventions 8 Co-operating influences 8 Effect of inventions on household employments 9 Release of work from the household 9 Diversion of labor from the household to other places 10 Results of this diversion to other places 11 Diversion of labor from the household into other channels 11 Household labor becomes idle labor 12 Outlets for idle labor 12 General result of change of work in the household 13 Division of labor in the household only partial 13 Interdependence of all industries 15

CHAPTER III. Domestic Service During the Colonial Period

DOMESTIC SERVICE DURING THE COLONIAL PERIOD

Domestic service has a history 16 Three periods of this history 16 The colonial period 16 Classes of servants during this period 17 Early reasons for colonizing America 17 Advantage to England of disposing of her undesirable population 17 Protests against this method of settlement 18 The freewillers 19 Proportion of redemptioners 20 Place of birth of redemptioners 20 Social condition of redemptioners 21 Methods of securing redemptioners 22 Form of indenture 22 Servants without indenture 22 Virginia law in regard to servants without indenture 23 Early condition of redemptioners 25 Subsequent improvement in condition 27 Wages of redemptioners 28 Legal regulation of wages 30 Character of service rendered by redemptioners 31 Service in Virginia 32 Service in Maine 33 Service in Massachusetts 34 Colonial legislation in regard to masters and servants 37 Laws for the protection of servants 38 Physical protection 39 Laws for the protection of masters 40 Laws in regard to runaways 40 Harboring runaways 41 Inducements to return runaways 43 Corporal punishment 44 Trading or bartering with servants 45 Miscellaneous laws protecting masters 46 Obligation of masters to community 47 Redemptioners after expiration of service 48 Indian servants 49 Negro slavery 51 General summary of character of service during the colonial period 52

CHAPTER IV. Domestic Service Since the Colonial Period

DOMESTIC SERVICE SINCE THE COLONIAL PERIOD

Second period in history of domestic service 54 Substitution for redemptioners of American “help” 54 Democratic condition of service 55 Observations of European travellers 55 Characteristics of the period 61 Third period in the history of domestic service 62 The Irish famine of 1846 62 The German revolution of 1848 63 Opening of treaty relations with China in 1844 64 Abolition of slavery in 1863 65 Effect of these movements on domestic service 65 Development of material resources 66 Effect of this on domestic service 67 Immobility of labor of women 68 Change in service indicated by history of the word “servant” 69 Early meaning of the word “servant” 69 Use of word “help” 70 Reintroduction of word “servant” 71 Impossibility of restoring previous conditions of service 72

CHAPTER V. Economic Phases of Domestic Service

ECONOMIC PHASES OF DOMESTIC SERVICE

Domestic service amenable to economic law 74 Many domestic employees of foreign birth 74 Geographical distribution of foreign born employees 75 Concentration of foreign born women in remunerative occupations on domestic service 77 The foreign born seek the large cities 77 Foreign countries having the largest representation in large cities 78 Foreign countries having the largest representation in domestic service 78 Conclusion in regard to foreign born domestic employees 80 General distribution of domestic employees 80 Domestic employees few in agricultural states 80 The number large in states with large urban population 80 The number not affected by aggregate wealth 82 The number somewhat affected by per capita wealth 82 Domestic employees found in largest numbers in large cities 83 Proportion of domestic employees varies with geographical location and prevailing industry 84 Neither aggregate nor per capita wealth determines number of domestic employees in cities 86 Prevailing industry of city determines number of domestic servants 87 Competition for domestics between wealth and manufacturing industries 88 Wages in domestic service 88 Conformity of wages to general economic conditions 89 Skilled labor commands higher wages than unskilled labor 89 The skilled laborer a better workman than the unskilled 90 The foreign born receive higher wages than the native born 91 Men receive higher wages in domestic service than women 92 Tendency towards increase in wages 93 Comparison of wages in domestic service with wages of women in other occupations 93 High wages in domestic service do not counterbalance advantages in other occupations 103 Domestic service offers few opportunities for promotion 103 Time unemployed in domestic service 104 High wages maintained without strikes 105 Conclusions in regard to wages in domestic service 106 Conclusions in regard to general economic conditions 106

CHAPTER VI

DIFFICULTIES IN DOMESTIC SERVICE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE EMPLOYER

Conditions of the average family 107 Difficulties in domestic service 108 Prevalence of foreign born employees 108 Restlessness among employees 109 Employment in skilled labor of unskilled laborers 112 Difficulty in changing employees 114 Recommendations of employers 114 The employment bureau 115 Indifference of employers to economic law 117 Illustrations of this indifference 117 Difference between the employers of domestic labor and other employers 121 Difficulties considered are not personal 122 Difficulties not decreasing 125 Difficulties not confined to America 127 The question in England 127 Condition of service in Germany 128 Service in France 129 Summary of difficulties 129

CHAPTER VII. Advantages in Domestic Service

ADVANTAGES IN DOMESTIC SERVICE

Personnel in domestic service 130 Reasons why women enter domestic service 131 High wages 131 Occupation healthful 132 It gives externals of home life 133 Special home privileges 133 Free time during the week 134 Annual vacations 135 Knowledge of household affairs 137 Congenial employment 137 Legal protection 138 Summary of advantages 138

CHAPTER VIII. The Industrial Disadvantages of Domestic Service

THE INDUSTRIAL DISADVANTAGES OF DOMESTIC SERVICE

Reasons why women do not choose domestic service 140 No opportunity for promotion 141 Work in itself not difficult 142 “Housework is never done” 142 Lack of organization 143 Irregularity of working hours 143 Work required evenings and Sundays 146 Competition with the foreign born and negroes 146 Lack of independence 147 Summary of industrial disadvantages 149

CHAPTER IX. The Social Disadvantages of Domestic Service

THE SOCIAL DISADVANTAGES OF DOMESTIC SERVICE

Lack of home life 151 Lack of social opportunities 152 Lack of intellectual opportunities 153 Badges of social inferiority 154 Use of word “servant” 155 The Christian name in address 156 The cap and apron 157 Acknowledgment of social inferiority 158 Giving of fees 158 Objections to feeing system 159 Excuses made for it 161 Other phases of social inferiority 162 Social inferiority overbalances industrial advantages of the occupation 163 Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of the occupation 165

CHAPTER X. Doubtful Remedies

DOUBTFUL REMEDIES

Difference of opinion in regard to remedies possible 167 General principles to be applied 168 The golden rule 169 Capability and intelligence of employer 170 Receiving the employee into the family life of the employer 170 Importation of negroes from the South 172 Importation of Chinese 176 Granting of licenses 177 German service books 178 Convention of housekeepers 179 Abolishing the public school system 179 “Servant Reform Association” 179 Training schools for servants 180 Advantages of such schools 180 Practical difficulties in the way 182 Not in harmony with present conditions 184 Co-operative housekeeping 186 Advantages of the plan 187 Objections to it 188 Practical difficulties in carrying it out 190 Co-operative boarding 191 Objections to the plan 192 Mr. Bellamy’s plan 192 Reasons for considering these proposed measures impracticable 193

CHAPTER XI. Possible Remedies—General Principles

POSSIBLE REMEDIES—GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Remedies must take into account past and present conditions 194 Industrial tendencies 194 Concentration of capital and labor 194 Specialization of labor 195 Associations for mutual benefit 195 Specialization of education 195 Profit sharing 196 Industrial independence of women 196 Helping persons to help themselves 196 Publicity in business affairs 197 The question at issue 198 Impossibility of finding a panacea 199 General measures 199 Truer theoretical conception of place of household employments 199 A more just estimate of their practical importance 200 Removal of prejudice against housework 201 Correction of misconceptions in regard to remuneration for women’s work 201 Summary of general principles 203

CHAPTER XII. Possible Remedies—Improvement in Social Condition

POSSIBLE REMEDIES—IMPROVEMENT IN SOCIAL CONDITION

Social disadvantages 204 Possibility of removing them 204 Provision for social enjoyment 205 Abolishing the word “servant” 207 Disuse of the Christian name in address 209 Regulation of use of the cap and apron 209 Abandoning of servility of manner 210 Principles involved in freeing domestic service from social objections 211

CHAPTER XIII. Possible Remedies—Specialization of Household Employments

POSSIBLE REMEDIES—SPECIALIZATION OF HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYMENTS

Putting household employments on a business basis 212 Articles formerly made only in the household 212 Articles in a transitional state 213 Articles now usually made in the house 213 Removal of work from the household 215 This change in line with industrial development 215 Indications of its ultimate prevalence 216 The Woman’s Exchange 217 The opening up to women of a new occupation 218 Ultimate preparation of most articles of food outside of the individual home 219 Advantages of this plan 219 Objections raised to it 221 These objections not valid 221 Laundry work done out of the house 222 Advantages of the plan 223 Possibility of having work done by the hour, day, or piece 223 Improved method of purchasing household supplies 225 Operation of unconscious business co-operation 226 General advantages of specialization of household employments 228 Objections raised to the plan 230 These objections not valid 231 Illustrations of success of the plan 233

Continue reading Domestic Service free in the Wunder reader →