2. Historical perspective
• Gardening for the purpose of leisure was
reserved for the social elite
• Women were regulated mostly to weeding in
16th century to the Victorian era
• Women of higher status tending small gardens
• For profit gardening was associated with men
• Division of labor was based on socio economic
status
3. Historical perspective cont
• Flower types and availability favored higher
class
• Women were regulated to lower form of
gardening.
• Specialized and exotic plants were reserved
for men of the upper class through out much
of history.
4. Current gardening gender gaps
• Men are more associated with the grunt work.
• Flowers and exotic plants are seen as to
feminine for younger males.
• Landscaping, mowing the lawn, and tending to
more masculine perceived chores are
considered manly.
5. Gardening between young/old males
• Old men and young men offer the most stark
difference in leisure activity.
• As men get older tending a garden becomes
more common.
• Gender differences dissipate, men become
more common in the garden later in life.
6. Theories on change
• Gardening in history was related to upper
class white families.
• Reserved for the social elite.
• Was based on racial as well gender
boundaries.
• Men and the garden relied on social status
• Today its more on gender stereotypes,
masculinity vs. femininity.
7. Traditional ideals of leisure
• Gardening is seen as a feminine activity
• Growing vegetables and fruits is seen as more
masculine
• Tending flower gardens is seen as feminine.
• Social boundaries separate acceptable leisure
activities between the sexes.
• Economic boundaries, as well as cultural
boundaries also effects what is seen as the
norm.
8. Social structure of gardening
• The hierarchy of gardening was based on race.
• Gender
• Class
• Social status
• Leisure related to gardening was reserved for
the elite.
9. Continued…
• For the middle class to lower class families
women were regulated to fertilizing, weeding,
jobs men did not want to do.
• White upper class heterosexual women, seen
gardening as leisure through out much of
history.
• Gardening for middle to lower class was not
considered leisure.
10. Current gardening trends
• Social hierarchal standards dissipate.
• Culturally more acceptable for women to
garden for leisure rather than sustainability.
• Historically men reserved right to garden for
leisure and for profit.
• Currently men due to the media and
advertisement juggernaut have shunned
gardening as feminine.
11. Continued….
• Gardening not based on economic status
anymore, but rather gender stereotypes.
• Social norm being shaped by media rather
than culture.
• Media demonizing feminism.
• Media is drawing a line to separate gender
related activates
12. My reservations
• Gardening to me was seen as
• Feminine
• Labor rather than leisure
• Not manly
• Time vs. return did not seem worth it
13. Reflection
• Needed to get past stereotypes.
• Started to accept it as a masculine activity.
• Still did not tend to flowers felt that growing
vegetables and providing food was masculine.
• Gave me the patience, and gave me time to
reflect on my life.
• Provided me with me time.
14. Continued…
• Even in gardening gender lines are concrete.
• Learned that stereotypical gender prejudice
can still exist.
• realized that even in leisure labor is involved.
• Felt a sense of accomplishment.
18. References
• Bennett, Kate M. "Gender and Longitudinal Changes in Physical Activities in Later Life." Age Ageing (n.d.): n. pag. Print.
•
• Corlett, Jan L., Ellen A. Dean, and Louis E. Grivetti. "Hmong Gardens: Botanical Diversity in an Urban Setting." Economic Botany 57.3
(2003): 365-79. Print.
•
• Dines, Gail, and Jean McMahon Humez. Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Critical Reader. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications,
2011. Print.
•
• Fairbairn, Neil. A Brief History of Gardening. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2001. Print.
•
• Henderson, Karla A. Both Gains and Gaps: Feminist Perspectives on Women's Leisure. State College, PA: Venture Pub., 1996. Print.
•
• Loudon, John Claudius. An Encyclopedia of Gardening Comprising the Theory and Practice of Horticulture, Floriculture, Arboriculture,
and Landscape-gardening ... a General History of Gardening in All Countries ... with Suggestions for Its Future Progress, in the British
Isles. London: Longman Rees Orme Brown Green, 1828. Print.
•
• Munroe, Jennifer. "Gender, Class, And The Art Of Gardening." Prose Studies 28.2 (2006): 197-210. Print.
•
• Munroe, Jennifer. Gender and the Garden in Early Modern English Literature. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2008. Print.
•
• Nardozzi, Charlie. Vegetable Gardening for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2009. Print.
•
• Russell, Letty M. Inheriting Our Mothers' Gardens: Feminist Theology in Third World Perspective. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1988. Print.
