Why is housework women’s work? From the cult of domesticity to the feminist movement in the 1960s–70s, attitudes about the gendered division of labor in the household have changed . . . or have they? This lecture examines the cult of domesticity during the Victorian era to contemporary social attitudes in the UK and U.S. in terms of the gendered nature of housework.

Renata Forste, a professor in the Department of Sociology, was recently appointed Kennedy Center director and an associate international vice president. Forste returned from directing a study abroad at the BYU London Centre and currently teaches courses on women’s studies and world population. Her research has focused on maternal and child health.

Light refreshments will be served following the lecture.