I often open my lectures by explaining that the current distribution of wealth in the United States—with the richest 400 people owning more of the country than the poorest 180 million combined—is, essentially, a medieval arrangement, with a vast underclass and a tiny elite. After one talk, a medieval historian approached me to offer a […]
domestic workers
Is paying for housecleaning classist?
Transactions between those who obtain cleaning services and those who perform them are laden with class issues. I have often been unpleasantly surprised by comments coming from people who I thought were progressive feminists or humanists: “My place is such a mess, I’m so glad the ‘cleaning lady’ is coming,” they declare, apparently without consideration […]
