Routines with a political twist
Cleaning has been associated with women for centuries. Women have traditionally been indeed linked with house chores in the Spanish-speaking world until the present day. Even when in the last decades there are more and more women having jobs outside the house. The workload has simply increased for them. There are more and more men prepared to do their contribution, but the reality is still that women do proportionally more work in the house than men.
That is why it is really helpful that cleaning is given a shake and a twist. Look at this image to understand what I mean. You will do at least two things: test your understanding of Spanish, and see cleaning embraced by a girl, a famous one in the Spanish-speaking world: Mafalda. Her take of the cleaning story is that there is more to cleaning than they want us to believe…
Mafalda is a beloved character for her wit, her sharp perception of the world, her no-nonsense philosophical observations and for often poking fun of real-life situations. This makes her messages quite universal.
To find out more about Mafalda and Quino, the cartoonist behind this wonderful little girl, you could start exploring Quino’s official site.
Reflect and share your comments!:
- 1. What words and ideas do you associate with ‘cleaning’?
- 2. Is cleaning something that is expected more from women than for men in your country?
- 3. Why do you think it is so difficult to change that?
- 4. What makes a fair sharing of chores so difficult?
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