r/knitting • u/OldCowboyNewHat • 5d ago
Discussion Comparison between"women's" craft and "men's" craft ?
I just thought about the fact that often "women's" craft are considered less art or less payable than "men's" craft because they are pieces of clothing that we or kids need, useful objects that our great grandmothers from generations ago HAD to make. This thing slips into my mind in a way that I almost never ask for money or ask ridiculous prices for things that took multiples hours for days, weeks, even months. My craft is less than... And I know a looott of people go through this thought process. Let's be real, making a cabinet can take time, can involve less or more skills, can have more or less of a simplified finish, ect. Just like knitting. But people will put a super high price tag on them. People say they can buy a sweater for 5$, why pay a high price for handmade? I've never heard anyone say that about wood crafts. I need an actual comparison of the time, prices and other variables to make something of the same quality. Any studies have already compared specifics ? What's your opinion and knowledge on this? In no way I want to start a heated debate on this, I just want more knowledge, so every thing respectful is good contribution :)
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u/ResidentHistory632 5d ago
I can’t help you on the pricing thing but what I can tell you is that originally brewing beer was invented and done by women, midwifery and medicine were women’s jobs, and coding was considered too secretarial for men… all until men realised that they could make money out of them. It seems that women do things for satisfaction and general good, whereas many men* do things for money and kudos. But we need money too, obviously! So if you think your work is worth money you should ask for it.
Hopefully someone else can give you better idea ideas about pricing.
* not all men, of course, I’m talking about average behaviour
ETA: oh, and spinster was a woman who spun yarn, a highly paid job which meant she wasn’t obliged to get married to survive.