The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-15
SPECIALIZATION AND WOMEN.

A good deal is heard these days about
specializing" The college student special
ICES by giving particular attention to some
by devoting himself to single branch of
his calling. thereby CHASING himself as an
expert and demanding fabulous fees; in
commercial pursuits the specialist is becom-
ing common figure-the expert account
ant, the man who has made a science of
of promoting financial enterprises, or of
selling goods. The artisan is often special
list through necessity, the modern factory
combining each workman to the handling of
but a single part of the complete product.
For that matter, nearly all the occupations
in which men are engaged tend to the cul-
tivation of skill along certain lines rather
than to general ability or dexterity; there
fore the growing demand for special pro-
ficiency is easier for them to meet. With
women the conditions are quite different.
Few women can become specialists in the
sense that men give to that term-that is,
the attainment of marked superiority in
Of all other classes of work. They may be-
come proficient in one line, but where is
the woman, even in this day of feminine
freedom, who can so govern conditions
that she can concentrate herself upon
single undertaking? Where is the woman
through the work of her hand or brain who
is not hampered in some sort by natural
claims upon her femninity, perhaps by the
very instinct of her femininity? There are
always family responsibilities of some sort
not to be denied-the doing with her hands
of various forms of traditional womanly
service-sewing, nursing, cooking, guiding
the young. waiting upon the old. Or if,
when in rare cases there are none OF these
personal cares, the complexities and bur-
dens of living are greater than those or
dinarily experienced by men. So it is that
more is almost unknown. and this perhaps
explains why so few women attain suprem-
acy in work which comes in competition
with that Of men. 1t Is fortunate, perhaps,
that circumstances and nature are against
her. for a woman with a speciality and an
accompanying lack Of other accomplish
ments and feminine attributes would be an
unnatural and Objectionable creature. Even
the man who has specialized extensively is
likely TO become an abnormal so far as his
intercourse with his fellow-creatures is con-
cerned.
Now, with knowledge OF all these things
clear 10 her if she would but stop to think,
comes that leader of feminine thought Mrs.
Henrotin. of Chicago. and says that if the
standard of domestic service is to be ele-
waited il must be done by specialization.
Women must specialize cooks. laun-
dresses. chambermaids. childrens nurses, IL
they would make their occupation equal to
other trades and professions Above all,
they must avoid general homework"
Shades of the grandmothers! With this
prospect ahead, what is to become of the
myriad of housewives who cannot afford TO
hire specialists to perform their domestic
tasks. but must have single servant ca
pable of doing a variety of things? And
what becomes of the other myriad wLo do
their own work. and must necessarily have
to cook. wash and bake and sew and take
care Of the sick and do all the other in