Architectural History and Theory: Domesticity and the Housing Reform - Essay Example

Title: Domesticity and the housing reform Name: Student’s number: Subject details: Academic year: School: Domesticity is the affection for the home and all its material comforts. It is the devotion to or the familiarity to the home life. It brings about the domestic duties, matters and conditions. The idea of domesticity dwells so much on the responsibilities that abide to the childhood and the parenthood. It refers so much on the motherhood (GARB, 2005, p.39). The family is viewed as a unit that consists of people. This family is influenced by many different institutions, laws and reforms that are drafted with relevance to the political, social and economic structure of a nation. A family is structured to have a home or house in which they live in. over the past many years, there had been a poor state and conditions of living of most of the town dwelling families more so those who lived in the outcasts of the city, a population that consisted mostly of the poor. This population was estimated to be more than a half of the total population of the United State. In the 19th through to the 20th century, this problem became so serious to the point that there was a need for the housing reform that was to be linked up with the idea of the domesticity (MONCLÚS, & GUÀRDIA I BASSOLS, 2006, p.59). Housing reform is a reform by the housing reform movements to seek solutions of the poor living standards and conditions of the people. It drafts reforms that enact laws about humanity and sociology. It brings the solution of poor housing to an end and transforms the poor living states and standards to a better one. The concept of modernity and domesticity comes in when talking about the housing reform. Modernity is viewed as the ultimate quality of being modern and contemporary. It comes hand in hand with advancements that bring about the aspect of change from poor conditions to modern and standardized conditions (GARB, 2005, p.40). This concept states that in a modern setting of a family, there should be a good system of housing whereby there should be a distinct division between a work place and a residential place. The living house should be separate from the office. Domesticity kicked off mainly from the 19th century as a system of all sets of ideas that developed in the reaction to the division of work and home. This brought many controversial ideological separations and disagreements between the male and the female. The difference in the gender said to be dictated by the nature brought in the controversy about the responsibilities. As a result, men were viewed as the main occupants of the work places and the women were the head of the private parts of the home. With time, men left the house-based work places to set up offices, workshops and even factories as the main sites of economic production rather than the homes and houses. This described a better distinction between the family and domestic life and the work life. The development of the cult domesticity was so gradual and it took place through many stages. The separation of work and home first came as a reality to the middle class people and the men of profession who were viewed as the working class. They first viewed home as a well refuge of the breadwinner. With time, the home became a sacred domain for the women and children. This came hand in hand with the growing culture of motherhood and increasing reflection of the child as the centre of the family life. Nevertheless, during the first half of the 19th century, the man continued to change with the emergence of the responsibilities as the father of the child, the husband of the wife and the observer of the domestic virtues. Toward the end of the 19th century, the domesticity and masculinity were seen as two opposing things. The men started to think otherwise about the idea of modernity and domesticity. It was at this period of time when the fathers started doubting whether their sons, who were being raised by the wives at home, would grow up to have all the values and features that are required for the success in the public domain. This brought a state of double evolution where the lower middle class group continued to embrace the virtue of the masculine domesticity where as the professional and commercial class experienced a real crisis of domesticity (MONCLÚS, & GUÀRDIA I BASSOLS, 2006, p.70). Many analyses have been carried out for instance the analysis of the Victorian images by McClintock. The analysis carried out by McClintock was based on the relationship between the modernity and domesticity. He argues that modernity and domesticity are two notions that cannot be differentiated. They exist together (GARB, 2005, p.32). He further says that modernity comes alongside both the civilization and domesticity. In the aspect of linking the domesticity and modernity, the woman is seen as a subject of modernity. At the beginning of revolution and change, the woman was not seen as a person who could appear on public domain. Women were viewed as housekeepers and caretakers. Any woman who could be seen working along the streets and the public places alone without her husband would be considered a public wife and could therefore be termed as a prostitute (RENAUD, 1991, p.12). As time passed by, the aspect of coupling up modernity, civilization and domesticity came into practice and existence. The increasing number of departmental stores in the cities was one of the leading employment opportunities that saw the women walk on the streets of the cities. These stores offered jobs to the women who could now be on the streets doing various jobs other than just sitting in the houses as caretakers. For once, the women could walk in the streets and get engaged with different activities within the cities without being seen as just mere public wives or prostitutes. The women became more confident and gained freedom and self-definition like never before. The site of the family was as a result of the consequences of the coalescence medical, education and sanitation strategies that aimed the nuclear family as the site through which the reasoning of the control of an individual was based. There was significant development in the city as a result of the modernity and domesticity. This brought about the view of the domestic unit as both social reform tool and the new scale of the city. This domestic kind of living environment was formulated as a subject transformation from the ancient living environment. During the late 19th century and the early 20th century, an increase in the feminist movement was witnessed. The women pressed more campaigns that advocated for the domestic revolution and new arrangements of the day to day life. They pressed for the possibility of participation in the public affairs and cultural development just like the men. The women also proposed for the provision of collective domestic responsibility that would see both the man and the woman share the responsibilities that came with the family and domesticity (RENAUD, 1991, p.96). In the late 19th century in America, a new figure called The New Woman came in. this was as a result of the new opportunities for the women in the higher education and the profession areas. Increasing occupation of women in the work places also resulted into this new figure. Its emergence brought about the conflict of how the woman is seen as both the subjects of modernity and domesticity. The New Woman is free and is not just confined at home. She has the freedom to hang around with her friends and does whatever she likes. She is more knowledgeable and informed about the fashion and style. She occupies the sport arenas, public domain and job labor forces. The New Woman is confident with her own self and is sexually liberated. The New Woman has a body that is well figured with the sporting activities and fashion. During the first half of the 20th century, most women (whether new woman or old woman), settled their lives around matters that related to domesticity. Judy Giles (2004) list the four regions where the effects of modernization were most fertile in the lives of women. First were the increasing urbanization and the advanced development in industrial production that set an enabling environment to raise a family. Secondly, innovation in the field of medicine and the advancement in the technological knowhow brought about the improvement in the living standards and conditions. This was dictated by the improved medical care, birth control and improved nutrition. Thirdly, the economy shifted toward consumerist that led to increased chances of contentment, ease and self-expression. The last was the achievement of scientific knowledge that charged the home with opposed expectations. It spread out the cult of domesticity which was built upon love, family and privacy. As time went by from the time of ancient antidote to the time of modernity, the woman viewed the home as the most efficient place to enact modernity and civilization. The women diversified the scope of modernity from the commercial or work aspect to the aspect of domesticity that was dictated by family. Women adopted some of the modernized domestic values like the love and care for the family. Women have grown over time to become both the office workers and the household heads. They take up responsibilities to be in the economic production arena and still find time for their domestic responsibilities like the parenting (RENAUD, 1991, p.50). All this growth of modernity from the ancient time to the modern time has led to significant improvement in the way of life of most people across the globe. The advancement has grown over time. One of the advancements that have been witnessed over a long period of time is the advancement in the housing, building and construction. This has lead to the development and enhancement of the housing reform (GAUZIN-MÜLLER & FAVET, 2002, p.201). Architecture is the main core when talking about the housing reform and the build environment. The growth of the architecture in terms of designs, styles and forms has been so gradual from the ancient period to the modern day. Architecture is a practical art and science of designing, structuring and constructing a building. Architectural theory is described as an act that involves extensive and wide thinking, discussing and making relevant writings about architecture. Architecture has evolved greatly from the ancient architecture to the modern day architecture (BEATLEY, 2012, p.76). Over the years of growth and advancement in the field of architecture, there has been rise in the type and quality of architectural models, styles and ideas. History has dictated significant change in the styles and structures of building. Urbanism is the study of the geographical, political, economic and social and cultural environment of the people who live in the cities (BORDEN, FRASER & PENNER, 2014, p.88). It also reflects all the aspects that are involved in the architectural planning of the city in relevance to the way of life of the dwellers. Architectural theories, styles and model that are applied by architects during their designs and constructions of the building in the city should concur to the planning of that city (ALSAYYAD, 1992, p.171). This means that the buildings should be in such a way that they bring out a clear and good structure of the city in relevance to the planning. Good architectural planning of the city should be one that does not interfere with the lifestyles of the people who dwell in that city (KRUFT, CALLANDER, TAYLOR & WOOD, 2003, p.17). Architecture dates back its origin to the Neolithic architecture which was the first architecture in history. This is architecture was used by the ancient Neolithic people of Levant, Anatolia, Syria and Central Asia who were known as great builders (EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL ENVISIONING ASSOCIATION, MORELLO & PIGA, 2013, p.119). They used `mud-bricks to build and construct houses, churches and villages. They would then use the scenes of humans and animals to paint and plaster the buildings. They also used wattle and daub to construct long houses in which they lived (BORDEN, FRASER & PENNER, 2014, p.120). Following the Neolithic architecture was the Antiquity architecture that was a little more advanced. This consisted of different architectural forms, designs and styles. An example is the Roman Architecture which is dictated mainly by inventions such as the arc and the concrete. This innovation was geared by the changing social climate that called for the construction of more and newly advanced buildings and structures with some level of complexity (BEATLEY,2012, p.57). The advancement made on the Roman concrete saw the Romans construct many public buildings like the roman temples, bridges, arches and even the churches. The architecture that followed the antiquity was the contemporary architecture that is also referred to as the modern architecture. This is the most advanced type of architecture of the b19th and the 20th centuries. It came into work at the late 20th century as the one with the most advanced movements and styles (EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL ENVISIONING ASSOCIATION, MORELLO & PIGA, 2013, p.199). It is mainly characterized by its simplicity in terms of form and creation. It rose as a reconciliation of the principles of architectural designs with the fast technological advancements, modernization and the civilization of the society. This architecture is described by some of the most popular and advanced building styles for instance the use of glass, iron and prefabrication. The contemporary architecture also employed the use of electricity in the work of building and construction (ALSAYYAD, 1992, p.111). All these advancement in the architectural forms and style played a key role in the modern day urbanism (BEATLEY,2012, p.92). The growth of architecture has greatly influenced the advancement of the forms and concepts of urbanism (MONCLÚS, & GUÀRDIA I BASSOLS, 2006, p.45). The knowledge of urbanism is dictated by architecture and when coupled up, is used in the urban planning for instance the city planning. New urbanism is an urban design movement that enhances environmentally healthy habits through the development of walkable neighborhoods with large range of residential and job types. It influences the city panning and even the land-use strategies in many institutions (MCKEON, 2007, p.77). Another form of urbanism is the Landscape urbanism. It is a theory of urban planning that employs the design of the landscape of the city as the most efficient way of organizing the city. In most cases it is as the postmodern and post-postmodern reply and answer to the diminishing new urbanism. Unitary urbanism is a form of urbanism that came into existence as a critique of the status quo urbanism. It was further developed in the 1950s to consist practices like the industrial painting (EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL ENVISIONING ASSOCIATION, MORELLO & PIGA, 2013, p.204). From the architectural design and styles and all the forms of urbanism, the housing reform was employed as a means of resolving the congestion and the poor living standards of the people. In the 19th and 20th centuries, health organizations and boards filed many reports that stated that there was overcrowding and lack of sanitation in most of the sections of the city that was occupied by the poor. Surprisingly enough, this population was estimated to be so large (GAUZIN-MÜLLER & FAVET, 2002, p.81). In Chicago for instance this population was estimated to be more than a half the total population of the city. This raised and issue that saw most health officers, patriotic citizens, architects and reformers get into serious investigations to know what the real situation of these places looked like and to come up with reform and solutions to the problem (ALSAYYAD, 1992, p.132). From the research and investigations, it came out that many families were living small houses and apartments. The houses were said to have been meant for single person but the poor state of the dwellers could not allow them rent then as single dwellers and were therefore forced to live in those houses as a family. Numerous slum blocks had no sewer connections and the people. There were merely no inside plumbing units and most of the people used the spaces at the backyard of their houses as the sanitary toilets and latrines (MCKEON, 2007, p.45). Some parts of the slum that had a little more conducive environment were out of reach for the African Americans who discriminated for their black color of the skin. As a way to keep off the African Americans from completely inhabiting these places, the slum owners charged very high rent that only but a few people could manage to afford. Evidently, these people were found to be living in very pathetic conditions that no one could believe. After the survey, the reformers and the researchers made their report on the findings and results. This immediately called for the need to come up with housing reform that would be efficient in solving the problem of overcrowding and unhealthy living standards. On the kick off, some of the citizens who were of middle class and had the welfare of theirs fellows at heart started building apartments. These apartments were more spacious and had the capacity to house a full family without congestion. Again, these apartments were cheap and hence became affordable to most people of the lower class. This although did not meet all the expectations of the poor people since some portion could still not afford the rent charged on such houses and apartment (GAUZIN-MÜLLER & FAVET, 2002, p.101). In the year 1902, a new law was introduced by the name New Tenement law. This law set minimum standards for space, ventilation and the sanitary facilities in the newly built houses. This also failed giving to the reason that there was inadequate enforcement plans. Still, the low-paid workers could not afford such decent shelter. The housing reformers also failed to deal with the segregation which was a major barrier to housing advancement. As time passed by, the white families who started life in the slums increased their financial capability and as a result moved to the better sides of the city. On the other side, the blacks were locked out (MCKEON, 2007, p.31). This is because most of the property owners who, belonged to the middle-class neighborhoods, used all possible means, both legal and illegal, to keep themselves away from the blacks. This was the case by even the economically stable blacks. Civil rights activists like Martin Luther King, Jr, in 1960s, were successful in the challenge for the site-selection practices of the Chicago Housing Authority. Their efforts however bore no fruit due to the political influence that interfered with all the public housing programs. 1980s and 1990s came with some achievements. During this period, many African Americans were occupying the inner parts of the cities where they resided. Towards the end of the 20th century, housing reformers in Chicago struggled and managed to achieve the strategies of improving the housing conditions that could be better than the previous ones. Reference ALSAYYAD, N. (1992). Forms of dominance: on the architecture and urbanism of the colonial enterprise. Aldershot u.a, Avebury. BEATLEY, T. (2012). Green cities of Europe global lessons on green urbanism. Washington, DC, Island Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10578338. BORDEN, I., FRASER, M., & PENNER, B. (2014). Forty ways to think about architecture: architectural history and theory today. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1991762. EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL ENVISIONING ASSOCIATION, MORELLO, E., & PIGA, B. E. A. (2013). Envisioning architecture: design, evaluating, communication : EAEA-11 conference 2013, Politecnico di Milano. Roma, Edizione Nuova Cultura. 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