Is 'Housewife' an occupation?

[Soontobe60]

First contestant on Mastermind tonight has given her occupation as housewife. Does that mean she is employed by her husband? She looks too old to have children that need looking after, and if she had an adult disabled child then her occupation would be carer.
Surely in this day and age no one claims that their occupation is housewife?

You work to live not live to work. As pp have mentioned... how would you like her to categorise herself? Domestic dweller? Lady of leisure?
Why do you care? How do you define yourself, do you think your occupation makes you better than her?

errol

I just asked dh and he said ‘stating the bleeedin’ obvious’

Yes I think it’s an occupation or maybe a vocation. Depends on how you look at it. I guess. I came to it by choice (and very fortunate that DH has a well paid job) when my DS were young. Now because of our particular circumstances life works better for our family for me be a housewife. It’s not a well regarded status in society but I m proud of it.

What’s wrong with Housewife?
Is ‘kept Woman’ more to your liking?
I’ll technically be a housewife when I finish work next week, although I’ll make more money (tax free too) sat on my sofa in my pyjamas than I ever did at work, come to think of it I suppose I will be able to call myself a professional Gambler.

If you're single, no kids but have a hefty inheritance or what not to live off how would you define yourself. Home maker doesn't quite seem right?

How things have changed? Back in the 1990s no woman would dare to suggest that a woman who isn't in paid employment but looks after the house and children is not working.

Nobody ever said "Do you work?" to a mother, because we all knew that they had plenty of work, maybe just not a lot of money.

you seem very judgemental towards women who choose to stay home.

What have I said that is judgemental? If a woman wants to stay at home that's up to them. I did exactly that until my first child was 2. I described myself as a mother at that time. Then I was a student and mother, then teacher and mother. Also, did you see the programme? I doubt that she's got young children at home to take care of.

I've no idea what the alternative noun would be for a woman without dependent children who does not have nor is looking for paid employment. Retired? I suppose because I don't know anyone who fits into that category. As my title asked, is housewife an occupation. Well apparently it is, because according to MN an occupation is not necessarily paid employment.

So mother is an occupation but housewife not?

What age do you stop being a mother?

Retired? Don't be silly.

You don't like housewife as occupation, ok. I think you need to suggest an alternative seeing as you're the one who is??? at a woman you know nothing about saying occupation housewife on mastermind (i mean she had to say something).

Retired makes me sound old

So i dont want that one

I was an unpaid carer for my DD until she died a couple of years ago. I haven't been in paid employment for 20 years so getting a job now will be difficult (unless it's as a carer- which I think I've done enough of ). My DH is due to retire in a couple of years so I'm not exactly looking for a new career as we will then be free to do all the things we couldn't do when DD was alive. My DS is away at Uni and works when he is home. So for now, I do everything around the house - what else would you suggest I call myself other than 'housewife?'

How about cleaner, cook, social secretary, personal assistant ...

No it’s not. And neither is ‘full time mum’- no, you’re unemployed. Whether it’s your choice or not, you are still unemployed.

It's brainwashing by capitalism and misogyny to think that receiving a paycheque from, say, some faceless corporation for shuffling paper is more a 'real' occupation than work done unpaid.

Housewife is fine. It's the modern devaluing of it that's not.

It is an occupation per economic theory because she isn’t unemployed. Technically her status would be unpaid worker.

I didn't see the programme I dont really like mastermind and I have 2 young children to try and get sorted. What do you think she should call herself? My mum is retired but hates it as she says it makes her feel old so she says housewife when asked unless its official forms etc. If that is how she wants to describe herself then how is that any of your business. Also my mum is still a mother at 65 so should be able to still use that surely if housewife isnt acceptable, since you never stop being a mother...

Buy unemployed usually means you are looking for work. I am not looking for work so why should I say I am unemployed? Why should I have to say I am something I am not to be seen as worth something I society? I hate this idea that somehow people that stay at home with children (mainly women) are not worthy in some way.

I think you are being really pedantic. Does it matter if they use "occupation" or some other word. And to say you are a student or housewife or similar in response to a question on an insurance application is commonplace. And if the woman concerned wants to describe herself as a housewife that's up to her.

Good for her, nothing wrong with housewife or househusband.

People employ other people to cook their meals, clean their house, do gardening, do the laundry, ironing, do admin/secretarial work. She may do a lot of a little of those things, she may look after elderly relatives and/or grandchildren/nieces/nephews or do volunteer work. The total value of this can be high - it’s shouldn’t be undervalued.

Surely describing someone as unemployed leads people to believe that a person is actually seeking work and/or claiming benefits. Neither of those is true in my case.

The issue is with them demanding everyone defines their occupation.

Unemployed is not correct unless someone is looking for work.

I can’t watch Mastermind because of John Humphreys. He’s on my Toby Young list of unbearable people.

There are plenty of people out there who don’t work and have no intention of getting a job, so out of interest how would you describe those people?

There's an assumption she is living off her husband's income. She might, but she might be living off money she already made for herself. If she has a buy to let, landlord, if she sold a business, retired? I think housewife is shorthand for 'not in traditional employment, but mind your own business'.

If asked my occupation I say “Housewife”. To be fair that’s partly because some people look so horrified. . Some people honestly only see paid employment as worthy.