Generally, the term "housework" is used to refer to household management involving a variety of domestic and often unpaid activities, "the purpose of which is to support the members of the family" (Hatt, 1997). According to Hatt, social events such as the rise of capitalism and the industrial revolution produced a wave of change throughout society causing the separation between home and workplace, as well as the shift from domestic work to factory work. As society gradually changed to reflect this, the home became the site of the “reproduction” of work, a predominantly female role shaped by social policies and ideologies that maintain the gendered division of labor. However, since the mid-20th century we have seen many significant changes in domestic work and who is responsible for carrying it out, following the feminist movement and social changes that allowed women to have access to equal opportunities when it comes to work. paid. Although women were eventually able to engage in paid work with less prejudice and similar opportunities to men, they were also expected to complete household tasks on top of this, regularly performing what Hochschild (1989) describes as "the second turn", or "the turn". double shift'. It was only at the beginning of the 21st century that middle-class families began to look for paid domestic workers to carry out household management tasks for them, eliminating the problems that arose with double shifts. A huge increase in demand for this service has led to the commodification of domestic labor, although some sociologists such as Ehrenreich and Hochschild (2003) argue that “with the growth of class polarization, the classic posture of submission returns,” with much housekeeping ... middle of paper ... dramatically, especially over the past decade, "housework" has become more of a choice than a necessity for many families, especially as the cost of labor is subject to negotiation and many workers they are willing to accept very low pay in exchange for very hard work. In conclusion, the definition of what constitutes “housework,” as well as who is responsible for completing it, has changed throughout modern history and differs from culture to culture. Housework is undoubtedly a terribly complex concept and is not at all a natural gendered process. The work of feminists and changes in social policy have unquestionably promoted greater equality in terms of reproductive work and responsibilities, yet some still believe that it is the woman of the house who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the family is kept in acceptable conditions.