Household Defined as Permaculture
In this transition, I took on a myriad of roles consigned to women by choice or expectation. Cook and housekeeper are generally held by many women regardless of relationship status but add to that childcare duties, gardener, food purveyor, food preservation expert, herbal medicine producer, researcher for doctors to new tires, teacher/tutor for special needs children, chauffeur, social coordinator, tax preparer, spiritual guide, small repairs mechanic, repairs coordinator, church/social/community volunteer, music coach, sports coach, counselor, writer, and possibly, you could add being a wife or significant other to the list.
When I came across David Holmgren's permaculture pyramid my jaw dropped. Reality is the western world lacks a basic infrastructure for household. It doesn't even matter whether the role is held by male or female, it simply isn't recognized as essential to the culture.
“...imagine a pyramid. The real economy, which is basis of human society, is the household (the money economy is just a little thing on top). It begins from the economy of nature, [the base of the pyramid] then the household (the basic economic unit of society) only then the money/formal economy. We [Permaculture designers etc.] are concerned with the bottom layers, which at the moment are being drained by the top layer, because that's where it all comes from. Even in affluent economies, the household economy is still quite substantial. The unpaid work of women if paid would break western capitalism. This is what we look at rebuilding.” ~David Holmgren
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