★ A masterpiece by Ann Oakley, a distinguished British sociologist and writer, a pioneer and leading figure in contemporary sociological research, and recipient of the British Sociological Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award!
★ This is an exhilarating documentary investigation and historical analysis of the “science of domestic affairs”! Grounded in the ideology of “women managing the household” and the evolution of women’s social roles, and set against today’s entirely new realities, this book prompts us to revisit and redefine, from a historical perspective, women’s place, the diversity of modern female roles and their agency, as well as the driving forces we ought to pursue.
★ The awarding of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics to the renowned labor economist and gender studies scholar Claudia Goldin has once again brought widespread attention to the topic of “women’s historical and contemporary roles in the labor market and in household matters,” giving rise to this work, which likewise explores labor economics and gender studies.

When it comes to hygiene in the home and public spaces, women are often the first group that comes to mind. Why is this so? This book traces and reconstructs the history of “domestic science,” a movement within family studies, covering such aspects as domestic science education, public health, higher education for women, and the scientific content and objectives of domestic science curricula. The book examines how this field of study should be viewed in the context of today’s emerging public health challenges and, as a driving force behind opening higher education to women, raises questions about the legacy and contemporary relevance of the domestic science movement. It will deeply engage students, scholars, and experts in sociology, history, environmental science, economics, social policy, education, and gender studies, as well as general readers with an interest in these topics.

Ann Oakley
A distinguished British sociologist and writer, she is a pioneering and leading figure in contemporary sociological research. She is Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the Institute of Education, University College London, and an Honorary Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford University. In 2011, the British Sociological Association awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the development of British sociology.
She has been engaged in social research for over sixty years and is renowned for her work on sexuality and gender, domestic labor, childbirth, and the social sciences. At the Institute of Education, University College London, she founded the Social Science Research Unit and the EPPI-Centre, and has long focused on research and policy formulation in the areas of gender, welfare, and public policy.
She has published numerous academic works, and her biographies, autobiographies, and novels are also widely acclaimed. Her sociological writings include The Invisible Woman: Housework and Sociology, Becoming a Mother, and The Invisible Wife, among others. She has also authored several bestselling novels, the most famous of which is “The Men’s Room,” serialized by the BBC in 1991 and later adapted for television by Laura Lamson, starring Harriet Walter and Bill Nighy in 1991.
Ann Oakley is also the daughter of Richard Titmuss, a founder of modern social policy theory and a pioneer of British social policy. Her daughter, Dr. Emily Caston, is Head of Film and Television at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, Principal of the London Film School, and a former producer of music videos—including those for U2 and Madonna—and television commercials.

1. Preface: My Domestic Life
2. Introduction: From Sociology to the Science of Household Management
3. Gender and Germs: Housework Today
4. Teaching Girls What Housework Is
5. Bringing Science into the Home
6. This Male-Shaped World
7. Lectures for Ladies: The Origins of the “Home and Social Science” Course at King’s College London
8. “Alice’s Cooking Class”—The Dismissed, Cinderella-Like Academic Subject
9. Experiments on Both Sides of the Atlantic
10. Sources of Motivation
11. A White Theme: Home Science in the Colonies and Beyond
12. Legacy and Significance