Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered…
“Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country and to mankind is to bring up a family. But here again, because there is nothing to sell, there is a very general disposition to regard a married woman's work as no work at all, and to take it as a matter of course that she should not be paid for it.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Raising a family is a vital social service, yet women’s domestic work is undervalued and unpaid.
In simple terms: Family work is essential but unpaid.
Advocate for fair compensation.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- parenting support
- wage equity legislation
- social welfare programs
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we quantify domestic labor?
- What policies could recognize caregiving work?
Changing societal norms takes time and resistance.