Would you better be called a HOUSEWIFE or a HOMEMAKER?

Philippines
March 3, 2009 10:06pm CST
A friend of my told me that she hates being called a housewife because she, in the first place, helps find money, in her own little way, for her family. She prefers to be called a homemaker. I didn't see the difference at first. My research gave the following distinction: HOMEMAKER is a mainly American term which may refer either to the person within a family who is primarily concerned with the management of the household, whether or not he or she works outside the home; a person whose prime occupation is to care for their family and/or home. While a HOUSEWIFE is a woman who manages her own household as her main occupation. Are you a housewife or a homemaker?
5 people like this
13 responses
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
4 Mar 09
I totally disagree with this definition. I always think of a homemaker as one who makes her house a home. She is there to make sure that the chores are done, laundry is kept up, kids are shuttled back and forth to school, meals are cooked etc... When elderly ladies who have never worked a day outside the home in their lives pass away here, they are never listed in the newspapers as "housewives". Always a homemaker or keeper of the home. I am a homemaker. I go to school full time as well right now, but I haven't always, and I've never thought of myself as a housewife. To me that term is very derogatory. I agree with your friend in that I hate it as well.
2 people like this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
2 May 09
It is a very derogatory term to me as well as not even having a correct definition. A wife is the partner of a husband, and she is married to him. No woman I have EVER known is the partner of a HOUSE nor does she marry her house. That is why I think this is a very dumb term and it should be removed from use. I would consider myself a homemaker yes, but first and foremost I am a wife and a mother, so I would say 'domestic goddess/engineer' rather than homemaker. I didn't make my home either, it was already built when we bought it lol.
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
4 Mar 09
I am a housewife although I do work part time away from the house. Most of my time is spent at home. I make decisions about things at home by myself but when it involves something major, I ask my husband for his advice. Our furnace went out in January. We could repair or replace. Cheaper to repair with no guarantees but a quick fix, since it was cold outside. I wouldn't make the final decision alone so I called him at work and did what he suggested.
2 people like this
• Philippines
4 Mar 09
Honestly, until now I don't understand what distiguishes the two terms. for me, they mean the same thing: a wife who stays at home, take care of the family and run the household.
2 people like this
@suzzy3 (8342)
4 Mar 09
I would call myself a housewife as I am a wife who looks after the house.Home maker is an American term.I just don't look after the house and all the chores.I go out with friends and have fun as well.It is a good life even though it is hard work and needs to be done properly.I am quite happy being called a housewife it is a status symbol in England it describes what I do and I am quite happy with the description.I don't consider it my occupation it is a labour of love that I am quite happy to do.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
1 Aug 09
Oh, I read that in the internet that housewife is a status symbol in England. . . If I were in England, I woul surely call myself a housewife. LOL
@Jae2619 (1483)
• United States
4 Mar 09
I would have to say, I am more of a homemaker. It honestly doesn't matter what I am called, I am a housewife, stay at home mom, the ol' lady, and I've probably been called worse, lol. So what ever fits, it ok with me. Some women though do take offense to being called one or the other.
• Philippines
4 Mar 09
I also don't get the point of distinguish the two terms. In whatever way, it all mean the same thing. Anyway, it's their preference to be rather called homemaker.
2 people like this
• United States
7 Mar 09
I used to be a stay at home mom before it was called that. My girls are grown so I'm now a housewife.
1 person likes this
@Citychic (4067)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Which would you rather be called, housewife or a homemaker? Humm, I think I would much rather be called Home-manager because as you've mentioned before we are the ones that are doing the primary care of the home and family. And running a home is almost the same thing as running a business. So that is why I would like to be called a home-manager. Our job is the hardest one of the planet, we are responsible for training your people to become productive citizens so why not allow us to be called Home-managers if it will help anything. In light of the fact that all of it basically mean the same thing whether we are called Housewife, homemakers or home-managers. That is what I would like to be called, Home-manager will suit me just fine. But my children can always call me Mommy!
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
2 May 09
I am a homemaker... or a domestic engineer with a degree in early childhood and teen experience and also a chef certificate (I have a small kid and 2 big kids and I cook every day) lol. I am NOT a 'housewife'. That is the stupidest term I have ever heard, and it has no definition as I have yet to meet ANY woman who has a HOUSE as a husband.
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
17 Mar 09
I have been a housewife for years. I guess now that I have gone back to work part-time maybe I have become a Hommaker! LOL Funny I didn't even notice the transition! It doesn't matter to me what people want to label me as. Either way I get tired at the end of the day just like everyone else does!
@bing28 (3795)
• Philippines
3 Jul 09
A housewife includes being a homemaker, I think. So many housewives now are doing part time jobs but still they manages their own household. Housewife is quite common and homemaker is more pleasing to the ears but just the same meaning the wife who stay at home.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
2 May 09
I'm a homemaker. I hadn't really thought there was a difference either until this discussion. Thanks for the heads up. Great topic!
@jedopi (401)
• Canada
2 Jul 09
I personally think that they need to come up with a better name. I am not married to my house, I am married to my husband, so I think being called a house"wife" is kind of weird. Also I am not a construction worker or brick layer, so being called a home"maker" is also weird to me. I don't know what would be the right term to use but because I do stay at home and I am a mom, I am also called, you guessed it, a stay-at-home-mom. Another weird term. I do so many jobs and yet get paid for none, and women who go OUT to work tend to look down on those of us at home. I am a doctor, nurse, teacher, hairdresser, maid, cook, nanny, etc. I think us housewives, homemakers, and stay-at-home-moms deserve a better title and some pay would be nice too, what do you think?
@busky5 (3164)
• Thailand
1 Aug 09
For me i don't like to call a housemaker.It look alike i am a maid.However i don't know about it is alike meaning or not.
@kevchua (1004)
• Malaysia
30 Jul 09
My research says that the term "housewives" is hardly used anymore; instead "homemaker" is used. This has something to do with being non-gender biased where people tend to be stereotyped and believe that only women could do certain things and man couldn't. Other terms like "Chairman" has been replaced with "Chairperson", "policewoman" is now "police officer" and so on. I guess people now begin to realise that what women could do, men could do, too - and vice versa. Oh by the way, a homemaker is also known as a Domestic Engineer... not kidding. :)