Radical Homemakers
- Thread starter Homemaker
- Start date
FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
freemotion
Food Guru
OW! HEY! Where are your manners??? 
freemotion
Food Guru
Thank you, Abi, for riding posse in my defense. Even though I did not deserve it. 
- Thread starter
- #26
I guess I brought this all up because without this book I never would have realized that their are other people out there that live the way that my husband and I do. We are considered at best quaint and at worst "weird". At least were I'm from.
Oh, and Thanks for having a newbie's back freemotion. You never know when someone might be easily offended especially on forums were it's hard to tell were people are coming from. But, no worries I wasn't offended. There shall be no hanging of heads in shame I actually don't know enough about global warming to have an honest opinion either way. While the book does mention global warming "climate change" it doesn't delve into the topic. I suppose now that I read the blurb it makes the book sound kind of eco- super-femme kinda deal. But, it's not. It's funny I guess I should have just tried to sum up the book in my own words but, I was tired and copying from the back of the book just seemed easier last night. So, thats what I get for playing on the computer too late at night.
So, let me try again. Because I can see were eco-super -femme would turn some people off (I know it does me) And, you know whats funny I don't think I would have bought this book if I had seen it in person first. I read about it on another forum. So I ordered it. The cover and the blurb don't really do it justice. I didn't think about it before but, I think they are trying to appeal to a certain kind of audience. Which is sad really now that I think about it because a lot of people are going to miss out on a great read.
Its sort of hard for me to sum it up but, let me give it a whirl.
The prologue is mostly about the authors background and how she became interested in writing the book in the first place. She interviews a "feminist" who is having trouble rectifying homemaking with modern feminism which she uses as sort of a jumping point to talk about the history of the American home. Were we are now as a nation and how we got there. Throughout the whole first half of the book the author makes a case for solving our nations problems by returning to homemaking. Both Men and women.
One by one she goes through different cultural issues. Why do Americans feel compelled to hold a nine to five job, double incomes, how that effects our children, and our lifestyle. Money, What is the economy for, homeschooling vs. public education, the institutionalization of just about everything, How Americans have become consumers instead of self reliant people. How that effects everything from our work habits, eating habits, health and to our need to consume more. She then goes on to talk about what a radical homemaker is. The second half of the book is all interviews that she had with different people. Individuals, families, young, old, farm dwelling, trailor dwelling, married, single, etc. But they all had similar things in common. Those common things made up what she calls the radical homemaker. And I don't know I felt like she could have talked to me and my husband. We could have been in there. I think most of the people on this forum could be considered a "radical homemaker"of sorts.
And it was just really awesome to read about others who live this way. It was really encouraging sometimes people look at my husband and I like there is something wrong with us. And, I don't know sometimes I would just feel like people were pressuring us to do "normal" things. Like live in a house that had to look a certain way, buy 2 new cars, get a "job", toss my daughter in daycare, eat food from the grocery store or McDonalds, I could go on and on. So it's nice to have the arguments and statistics to back up our way of life. What ever you want to call it. Self sufficient, back to basics, simpler living, living the good life all that good stuff.
Ugh, I hope this all makes sense. It's Christmas eve and I had way too much coffee(and a little bit of wine)
Oh, and Thanks for having a newbie's back freemotion. You never know when someone might be easily offended especially on forums were it's hard to tell were people are coming from. But, no worries I wasn't offended. There shall be no hanging of heads in shame
I actually don't know enough about global warming to have an honest opinion either way. While the book does mention global warming "climate change" it doesn't delve into the topic. I suppose now that I read the blurb it makes the book sound kind of eco- super-femme kinda deal. But, it's not. It's funny I guess I should have just tried to sum up the book in my own words but, I was tired and copying from the back of the book just seemed easier last night. So, thats what I get for playing on the computer too late at night. So, let me try again. Because I can see were eco-super -femme would turn some people off (I know it does me) And, you know whats funny I don't think I would have bought this book if I had seen it in person first. I read about it on another forum. So I ordered it. The cover and the blurb don't really do it justice. I didn't think about it before but, I think they are trying to appeal to a certain kind of audience. Which is sad really now that I think about it because a lot of people are going to miss out on a great read.
Its sort of hard for me to sum it up but, let me give it a whirl.
The prologue is mostly about the authors background and how she became interested in writing the book in the first place. She interviews a "feminist" who is having trouble rectifying homemaking with modern feminism which she uses as sort of a jumping point to talk about the history of the American home. Were we are now as a nation and how we got there. Throughout the whole first half of the book the author makes a case for solving our nations problems by returning to homemaking. Both Men and women.
One by one she goes through different cultural issues. Why do Americans feel compelled to hold a nine to five job, double incomes, how that effects our children, and our lifestyle. Money, What is the economy for, homeschooling vs. public education, the institutionalization of just about everything, How Americans have become consumers instead of self reliant people. How that effects everything from our work habits, eating habits, health and to our need to consume more. She then goes on to talk about what a radical homemaker is. The second half of the book is all interviews that she had with different people. Individuals, families, young, old, farm dwelling, trailor dwelling, married, single, etc. But they all had similar things in common. Those common things made up what she calls the radical homemaker. And I don't know I felt like she could have talked to me and my husband. We could have been in there. I think most of the people on this forum could be considered a "radical homemaker"of sorts.
And it was just really awesome to read about others who live this way. It was really encouraging sometimes people look at my husband and I like there is something wrong with us. And, I don't know sometimes I would just feel like people were pressuring us to do "normal" things. Like live in a house that had to look a certain way, buy 2 new cars, get a "job", toss my daughter in daycare, eat food from the grocery store or McDonalds, I could go on and on. So it's nice to have the arguments and statistics to back up our way of life. What ever you want to call it. Self sufficient, back to basics, simpler living, living the good life
all that good stuff. Ugh, I hope this all makes sense. It's Christmas eve and I had way too much coffee(and a little bit of wine)
FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
It makes plenty of sense. I really want to read the book, mostly because she is from upstate NY, the same area that I am from. She probably even went to the same school. I am sure of it. There weren't too many schools. I wonder if our library has it yet....
Wifezilla
Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
Once you get old enough, you get to be ECCENTRIC! I am working on that right now, but I think you have to have a little money to be eccentric...hummmmmm.....
Anyway, when I got in to my 40's, what other people thought of me meant less and less. Plus I have had people who thought hubby & I were insane over the last 20+ years tell me we did it the right way and they wish they would have done it like us. (Stayed in the small house instead of trading up to a bigger one with bigger mortgage, bought most of our clothes and furniture from Goodwill, always drove used cars we paid cash for....etc...)
ohiofarmgirl
Sipping Bacon Martinis
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2009
- Messages
- 5,488
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 189
yep what WZ said
we get that all the time - what kind of weirdos we are. how "poor" we are and how sad it is that we "have to eat a turkey from our yard."
but we think we have the last laugh and more than likely you'll see folks start coming around asking questions, then wanting you to help them, etc etc
everybody's a hater until they figure out they are in over their heads and there is nothing "superior" when they get their house repo'd. everything we have is paid for and my pal Eliza just told me she paid $6/lbs for an organic turkey that we got for free - in our yard.
i've played both sides of the game and this suits me better. the problem i see with the culture's view of how you're supposed to "get a "job", toss my daughter in daycare, eat food from the grocery store or McDonalds,"... is that it promotes "me-ism." there is no dedication to anyone but yourself and a blindness to fulfilling someone else's needs.
my grandma had over 30 grandchildren and we each had her undivided attention - one gal i know is irritated by her 2 kids that she rarely sees - she acts like they are a burden and not a blessing. and dont even ask me what she thinks of her husband. i dont see this as a huge step forward for anyone.
our life promotes teamwork, an appreciation for whats around us, creative problem solving, and a desire to help others. so "they" can call me old fashioned all they want but i dont think those values out of date at all.
so nope - you're not a weirdo.. come on and in and tell us all about it, we're glad you came
ps feel free to start a journal to introduce yourself
pss its not just gals who do this "farm wife/homemaker" thing. our buddy Bourbon Red is a full time farmer/stay at home dad/home schools his kids. they have one of the best families i know.
we get that all the time - what kind of weirdos we are. how "poor" we are and how sad it is that we "have to eat a turkey from our yard."
but we think we have the last laugh and more than likely you'll see folks start coming around asking questions, then wanting you to help them, etc etc
everybody's a hater until they figure out they are in over their heads and there is nothing "superior" when they get their house repo'd. everything we have is paid for and my pal Eliza just told me she paid $6/lbs for an organic turkey that we got for free - in our yard.
i've played both sides of the game and this suits me better. the problem i see with the culture's view of how you're supposed to "get a "job", toss my daughter in daycare, eat food from the grocery store or McDonalds,"... is that it promotes "me-ism." there is no dedication to anyone but yourself and a blindness to fulfilling someone else's needs.
my grandma had over 30 grandchildren and we each had her undivided attention - one gal i know is irritated by her 2 kids that she rarely sees - she acts like they are a burden and not a blessing. and dont even ask me what she thinks of her husband. i dont see this as a huge step forward for anyone.
our life promotes teamwork, an appreciation for whats around us, creative problem solving, and a desire to help others. so "they" can call me old fashioned all they want but i dont think those values out of date at all.
so nope - you're not a weirdo.. come on and in and tell us all about it, we're glad you came
ps feel free to start a journal to introduce yourself
pss its not just gals who do this "farm wife/homemaker" thing. our buddy Bourbon Red is a full time farmer/stay at home dad/home schools his kids. they have one of the best families i know.
- Thread starter
- #30
Whew glad to know I was making some kind of sense.
I'm a historical re-enactor. Which seems to attract a lot of SS gentlemen. So I know that a lot of great homemakers are men. In fact, out of all of our friends one of the sweetest families I can think of has a stay at home dad. I keep trying to convince my husband that he should quite his job and build furniture and write. But, so far he's been resistant.
As far as the journals go. I'm kinda new here so I'll have to look into them. Thanks for the invite.
I'm a historical re-enactor. Which seems to attract a lot of SS gentlemen. So I know that a lot of great homemakers are men. In fact, out of all of our friends one of the sweetest families I can think of has a stay at home dad. I keep trying to convince my husband that he should quite his job and build furniture and write. But, so far he's been resistant.
As far as the journals go. I'm kinda new here so I'll have to look into them. Thanks for the invite.
