Domestic Appliances and Household Robots: The Changing Landscape of Housework and Family
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Leopoldina Fortunati
Abstract
In this chapter, we examine the technologies that have penetrated homes to address housework and consider how these have affected the gender division of labor in the domestic sphere. While men’s involvement in housework remains low relative to women globally, there has been a notable rise in their engagement in childcare over recent years. However, this increase has not extended significantly to more physical, labor-intensive household tasks like cleaning, laundry, ironing, cooking, dusting, table management, and grocery shopping. Our purpose is first to trace a short, historical account of domestic appliances and digital technologies and then of more sophisticated technologies that have arrived in the home, such as social robots and robotic products. After World War II, there was a surge in the household adoption of appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, polishers, and food processors. It was some time later that microwaves became common in homes. Subsequently, after a period with few new introductions, innovative devices like the Bimby kitchen machine (aka Thermomix), Roomba vacuum cleaners, and robotic lawnmowers began to gain popularity. In this chapter, we aim to understand (1) if each technological wave addressed a specific target (women, men, or family members in general); (2) how these technologies interacted with the organization and gender division of domestic labor and social gender roles, and (3) which needs are unsatisfactorily addressed and why.
Abstract
In this chapter, we examine the technologies that have penetrated homes to address housework and consider how these have affected the gender division of labor in the domestic sphere. While men’s involvement in housework remains low relative to women globally, there has been a notable rise in their engagement in childcare over recent years. However, this increase has not extended significantly to more physical, labor-intensive household tasks like cleaning, laundry, ironing, cooking, dusting, table management, and grocery shopping. Our purpose is first to trace a short, historical account of domestic appliances and digital technologies and then of more sophisticated technologies that have arrived in the home, such as social robots and robotic products. After World War II, there was a surge in the household adoption of appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, polishers, and food processors. It was some time later that microwaves became common in homes. Subsequently, after a period with few new introductions, innovative devices like the Bimby kitchen machine (aka Thermomix), Roomba vacuum cleaners, and robotic lawnmowers began to gain popularity. In this chapter, we aim to understand (1) if each technological wave addressed a specific target (women, men, or family members in general); (2) how these technologies interacted with the organization and gender division of domestic labor and social gender roles, and (3) which needs are unsatisfactorily addressed and why.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
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Section 1: Robots in Culture and Society
- Future Presence: Living with Social Robots 21
- Representing Robots in Popular Culture 47
- Designing Robots That are Accepted in Human Social Environments: Anthropomorphism, the Intentional Stance, Cultural Norms and Values, and Societal Implications 63
- Are Robotic Bodies (Part of) Social Bodies? 85
- Persons or Things: The Role of Robots in Society 105
- Automated Masspersonal Social Engineering 119
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Section 2: Humanistic and Social Scientific Perspectives
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Linguistics
- AI and Human Writing: Collaboration or Appropriation? 137
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Law
- Policies, Regulation, and Legal Perspectives on Social Robots 161
- How Social Robots Affect Privacy: Navigating the Landscape 179
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Sociology
- Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and the Evolution of the Social Sciences 203
- Human Interactions With (Embodied) AI: The Future of Authenticity in Human–AI Relation(ship)s 221
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Psychology and Neuroscience
- Mind Perception During and After Interacting with Artificial Agents 241
- How People Perceive Social Robots: The Case of Gender 261
- Relating with Social Robots: Issues of Sex, Love, Intimacy, Emotion, Attachment, and Companionship 277
- Real or Pretend? How Children Ontologize Social Robots as Mental and Moral Others 295
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Communication and Computer Sciences
- Rethinking Communication between Humans and Social Robots 313
- Interacting with Social Robots: The Influence of their Distinctive Cues, Behavioral Capabilities, and Affordances on Social Interaction and Well-being 335
- Integrating Big-Data Tools to Study AI and Human–Machine Communication: Methodology Strengths, Future Directions, and Applications 355
- Social Robots and Children: A Field in Development 371
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Section 3: Contexts of Human–Robot Interaction
- Anthropomorphizing Voice Assistants: A Research Agenda for Human–AI Relationships 391
- Domestic Appliances and Household Robots: The Changing Landscape of Housework and Family 411
- Ability and Disability: Social Robots and Accessibility, Disability Justice, and the Socially Constructed Normal Body 429
- Growing Old Together: The Promise and Challenge of Social Robots for Older Adults 447
- Power and Synchrony in Human Collaboration with Exoskeletons 467
- Index 489
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1: Robots in Culture and Society
- Future Presence: Living with Social Robots 21
- Representing Robots in Popular Culture 47
- Designing Robots That are Accepted in Human Social Environments: Anthropomorphism, the Intentional Stance, Cultural Norms and Values, and Societal Implications 63
- Are Robotic Bodies (Part of) Social Bodies? 85
- Persons or Things: The Role of Robots in Society 105
- Automated Masspersonal Social Engineering 119
-
Section 2: Humanistic and Social Scientific Perspectives
-
Linguistics
- AI and Human Writing: Collaboration or Appropriation? 137
-
Law
- Policies, Regulation, and Legal Perspectives on Social Robots 161
- How Social Robots Affect Privacy: Navigating the Landscape 179
-
Sociology
- Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and the Evolution of the Social Sciences 203
- Human Interactions With (Embodied) AI: The Future of Authenticity in Human–AI Relation(ship)s 221
-
Psychology and Neuroscience
- Mind Perception During and After Interacting with Artificial Agents 241
- How People Perceive Social Robots: The Case of Gender 261
- Relating with Social Robots: Issues of Sex, Love, Intimacy, Emotion, Attachment, and Companionship 277
- Real or Pretend? How Children Ontologize Social Robots as Mental and Moral Others 295
-
Communication and Computer Sciences
- Rethinking Communication between Humans and Social Robots 313
- Interacting with Social Robots: The Influence of their Distinctive Cues, Behavioral Capabilities, and Affordances on Social Interaction and Well-being 335
- Integrating Big-Data Tools to Study AI and Human–Machine Communication: Methodology Strengths, Future Directions, and Applications 355
- Social Robots and Children: A Field in Development 371
-
Section 3: Contexts of Human–Robot Interaction
- Anthropomorphizing Voice Assistants: A Research Agenda for Human–AI Relationships 391
- Domestic Appliances and Household Robots: The Changing Landscape of Housework and Family 411
- Ability and Disability: Social Robots and Accessibility, Disability Justice, and the Socially Constructed Normal Body 429
- Growing Old Together: The Promise and Challenge of Social Robots for Older Adults 447
- Power and Synchrony in Human Collaboration with Exoskeletons 467
- Index 489
