In societies where people are "hunters and gatherers", for example the traditional society of the Australian aboriginal people, it is the men who do the hunting of animals for meat, and the women who do the gathering of other types of food such as grain, fruit and vegetables. One of the reasons is that a married woman usually had children and babies for a large part of her life. It is much easier to gather fruit with a baby on your hip or back than to hunt a fast-moving animal. So the men were able to raise up sons and daughters and the life of the community could continue into another generation. Even in a society where homes were very simple and people did not own very many things, men and women did different jobs. In the extreme conditions of the Arctic North the hunters must know how to hunt in extreme cold (among ice and snow); the women must maintain home life in huts made of ice ("igloos") and clothing needs to be made out of animal skin and insulated with moss and other plants. Babies live very close to their mothers so that they can be kept warm.
In "rural societies", where the main work is farming women have also taken care of gardens and animals around the house, brewed weak alcoholic drinks (such as ale and mead) and helped men with heavy work whenever a job needed doing in a hurry, usually because of the season.
Examples of the heavy work that a traditional "housewife" (homemaker) in a "rural society" would do are:
An "urban society" is when most people live in towns and cities. In urban societies, since ancient times, most men did work that earned money. They worked in workshops, trading, banks and other businesses as well as in churches, schools and the town council. It was seen as the job of a woman to be a "housewife" (homemaker).
Every society always has some women who never marry. They might stay at home and do "housework" for other family members, or they might work outside the house like a man. In many urban societies, there have been few jobs that a woman was allowed to do. In modern society there are still strong traditions about the jobs that women should do.
In the 19th century (1801-1900) more and more women began to stop being homemakers and began to do jobs that men usually did. At this time many big factories were set up, first in England then in some other European countries and the United States as well. Many thousands of young women went to work in factories.
Other women, like Florence Nightingale, stopped being housewives and did dirty dangerous jobs, even though they were not poor and did not need to work. In most families where there was a husband and wife, everybody thought it was the job of the husband to earn money and the job of the woman to be a "housewife" (homemaker). Women were often very proud to be a good homemaker and have their house and children spotlessly clean, their husband's shirts neatly pressed, and tasty meals to eat every night.
In the first half of the 20th century (1901-1950) there were two big wars (World War I and World War II) that were fought by men from many countries. While the men were at war, their wives went to work to keep the countries running. Women, who were also homemakers, worked in factories, businesses and farms.
By the 1960s in western countries there was the idea that it was all right for a woman to work and be a "career girl" until the woman got married, when she should stop work and be a "housewife" (homemaker).
At this time, when more and more women had good educations and were able to earn a lot of money, in some families (usually if there were young children to care for) the husband would be the person that was the homemaker. (See above:The term "homemaker)
Nowadays, in many families where both the husband and wife do paid work, both partners share in the "housework" and caring for the children. In other families, there is still a traditional idea that housework" is the job of the wife, so the husband works to provide for the family and the wife stays home to care for her house and children". In addition, in some families, the wife works to provide for the family and the husband stays home to care for the home and the children.
The job of a homemaker is to take care of a family and the place where the family lives. The usual things that a homemaker does are:
Necktie
A necktie (or a tie) is an article of clothing worn by men. A tie is part of an ensemble (or outfit) of clothing called the "suit and tie." This outfit is worn in Western countries by men in professional jobs such as business, law, and politics.
A necktie is usually made of silk or polyester, and it usually has a color or pattern on it. Men tie a knot in neckties and wear them with dress shirts in order to make them look more formal.
The bow tie is a type of necktie. It is a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops.
Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn and a band goes around the neck and clips to secure. Some "clip-ons" dispense with the band altogether, instead clipping to the collar.
Joke
A joke is something said, written or done to make people laugh. There are many kinds of jokes; they can be questions with surprising answers or stories with unexpected endings. The humour of a joke comes from the surprise.
Jokes can be about anything. Jokes can be found anywhere: on the Internet, in books or heard from friends. Some jokes are about groups of people and can hurt people's feelings, for example if they are racist or sexist.
Jokes are used in comedy, plays and movies.
Jokes could take the form of sarcasm or even try to poke fun at something to get a point across. People sometimes get hurt by jokes at them. If a joke is used to show a problem in someone's thought, it is normally called satire.
If you can think of more jokes then add them to the list.
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of someone's wife or husband. A brother-in-law is also someone's brother's or sister's husband.
Sister-in-law
Someone's sister-in-law is the wife of his or her brother or sister. Someone's sister-in-law is also his or her spouse's sister.
Tuxedo
A tuxedo is an ensemble (or outfit) of clothing which includes a white dress shirt, a bow tie, dress pants, a tuxedo suit jacket (sometimes called a dinner jacket), leather dress shoes, and sometimes a vest or cummerbund, top hat and gloves. In European countries, this outfit is called black tie. Many men wear this outfit in Western countries on formal occasions like a marriage ceremony or a fancy party or dance.
The white dress shirt is usually made of cotton or linen. A dress shirt has a stiff collar and it is ironed before it is worn. A bow tie is usually made of silk or polyester, and it is usually black or white. Dress pants are made of wool or polyester, and they are ironed before they are worn. A tuxedo suit jacket is usually made of wool or polyester. Suit jackets have a collar, pockets, and a silk or polyester lining. Leather dress shoes are usually made of dark-colored leather which is polished. Sometimes, a person wearing a tuxedo will also wear a sleeveless vest with buttons in the front, a black top hat, and white gloves.
Some men wear a tuxedo for their jobs, such as symphony orchestra musicians or waiters in expensive restaurants.
Since most men do not wear tuxedos very often, they rent them when needed instead of buying them. Sometimes, men's tuxedo vests and ties match the dress of the woman he is with. They are mainly worn to big events such as weddings, dinner parties or some sort of smart dressed do.
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