Throughout the 20th century, new technologies such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and refrigerators changed the nature of domestic labor. Rather than reduce the amount of work a task required, these technologies facilitated increases in living standards for about the same amount of work put in. Middle- and upper-middle class women became generalized workers, where they had previously supervised specialized workers.
Throughout the 20th century, new technologies such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and refrigerators changed the nature of domestic labor. Rather than reduce the amount of work a task required, these technologies facilitated increases in living standards for about the same amount of work put in. Middle- and upper-middle class women became generalized workers, where they had previously supervised specialized workers.