Displays of the Everyday. Relations between gender and the visibility of domestic work in the modern Finnish kitchen from the 1930s to the 1950s
Title:
Displays of the Everyday. Relations between gender and the visibility of domestic work in the modern Finnish kitchen from the 1930s to the 1950s
Author:
Saarikangas, Kirsi
Appeared in:
Gender, place and culture
Paging:
Volume 13 (2006) nr. 2 pages 161-172
Year:
2006-04
Contents:
This article discusses relations and interaction between gender and spatial arrangements of kitchens in the modern Finnish home from the 1930s to the 1950s. The focus is on the gendered and gendering aspects of habitation: the interrelationship between planning ideals and the lived space of the modern kitchen. Modernisation of homes was concentrated on the kitchen, an area that was turned into a small, efficient and rational workstation for one person, namely the active, professional housewife. While during the 1930s the goal was to separate kitchen work, defined as unhygienic, strictly off into its own space, during the 1950s the spatial continuum between kitchen, dining corner and living room became central. The kitchen was no longer an enclosed space, but was now integrated into the family rooms of the home. This 'making visible' of the work of housewife signified a radical change in terms of domestic labour, which now received a visible position in the home. However, it also signified that housework was to be purified and its material traces associated with femininity reduced. Kitchens, with their dazzling white surfaces, were generally depicted as having been cleansed of feminine fripperies and decoration. Instead of the denial of femininity, I would claim that this cleansing could be understood as its redefinition. Exhibiciones de lo cotidiano: Relaciones entre genero y la visibilidad de trabajo domestica en la cocina moderna de Finlandia desde 1930 hasta 1950 Este articulo discute relaciones y interacciones entre genero y los arreglos espaciales de cocinas en las casas modernas finlandes desde la decada de los treintas hasta los anos cincuenta. Se enfoca el aspecto de genero de la habitacion: la interrelacion entre las planificaciones ideales y los espacios vividos de la cocina moderna. La modernizacion de casas fue concentrado en la cocina, un area que se volvio una estacion de trabajo pequena, eficiente y racional para una persona, a saber la ama de casa activa y profesional. El objetivo durante los treintas era separar el trabajo de cocina, definido como antihigienico, en su propio espacio estrictamente lejos de otras partes de la casa, mientras que en los cincuentas un espacio continuo entre la cocina, la sala de comer, y la sala de estar se centralizo. La cocina ya no era un espacio cerrado sino que se integro en los cuartos de la familia de la casa. Esto 'haciendo visible' del trabajo de la ama de casa significo un cambio radical en terminos del labor domestico, que ahora recibio una posicion visible en la casa. Sin embargo, significo tambien que tareas domesticas debia ser purificado y sus marcas materiales femeninas eran reducidos. Cocinas, con sus superficies blancas deslumbrante, fueron interpretado por lo general de haber estado limpiado de perifollos y decoraciones femeninas. En lugar de una negacion de feminidad, yo contenderia que esta purificacion se podria entender como su redefinicion.
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