The work performed by a homemaker goes unnoticed and unpaid as compared to the…
2023
The work performed by a homemaker goes unnoticed and unpaid as compared to the official work performed by an office going lady who gets salary and respect. Examine the possible reason behind this:
- A.
Overvaluation of official work
- B.
Less time taken for household work
- C.
Patriarchal set-up of Indian society
- D.
Devaluation of household work
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
In sociology and pedagogy (Gender, School and Society), "work" is treated as socially valued mainly when it is exchanged for wages in the market. Because domestic/household work is unpaid and takes place outside the market, society devalues it — it is not counted as economically productive labour, even though it demands comparable time, skill, and effort. This devaluation is the mechanism through which unpaid domestic work loses both monetary recognition and social respect.
Application
In the given situation, a homemaker's work goes unnoticed and unpaid, while an office-going woman's identical effort earns salary and respect. The stem asks for the reason behind this gap. Applying the concept above: because household work does not enter the wage market, it is treated as having no economic value — this is precisely the devaluation of household work. It is this devaluation, not merely the number of hours worked or a general overvaluation of office work, that directly explains why domestic labour carries neither pay nor prestige.
Contrast with the other options
"Overvaluation of official work" only describes how office work is treated — it does not explain WHY household work itself goes unpaid and unnoticed.
"Less time taken for household work" is factually inaccurate — domestic work is widely recognised (in pedagogy and time-use studies) as time- and effort-intensive, often exceeding a full working day.
"Patriarchal set-up of Indian society" names a broader social structure, but the specific mechanism by which that structure denies pay and recognition to domestic labour is the devaluation of household work — patriarchy operates through this devaluation, so the more precise, item-specific answer is the devaluation itself.
Result
The reason homemakers' work goes unnoticed and unpaid is the devaluation of household work — it is excluded from the wage economy and therefore treated as not "real" work, unlike salaried office work.