Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Just What Is a "Radical Homemaker" Anyway?

You may be asking yourself, "Exactly what is a 'radical homemaker'?  And am I one?  If I am, do I want to be?  Is it something, you know, weird?"

Well, I always say, if you're the weird one among a bunch of people slowly going insane, then you're likely the only sane one.  So, yes, in today's American society, "radical homemakers" may be viewed as "weird."  However, I'd argue that they are the sane ones.

When we look at the human experience throughout our species history, it's the industrialized consumer lifestyle that is the weird choice, unlike anything we've experienced in our 200,000+ years on Earth.  Throughout 99.9999% of that time (up to the Industrial Revolution, that is), we've lived in a manner of self-sufficiency and independence.  Along with that type of livelihood grew strong families, reliable communities, and a healthy Earth.  I'm not saying all was paradise and no "bad stuff" existed.  However, the majority of anthropologists will tell you that this type of lifestyle is the most sustainable ecologically and socially as well as the most conducive to personal life satisfaction.

Radical homemakers are working to reclaim this sustainability, life satisfaction, self-sufficiency, and independence of the normal historical human lifestyle.  Rather than letting ourselves be torn asunder as families to serve the needs of the industrial workplace, we pull together to opt out of that system as much as possible.  Shannon Hayes, author of Radical Homemakers and the inspiration for this group's name, writes, "he or she who doesn't need the gold can change the rules.  The greater our domestic skills, be they to plant a garden, grow tomatoes on an apartment balcony, mend a shirt, repair an appliance, provide for our own entertainment, cook and preserve a local harvest or care for our children and loved ones, the less dependent we are on gold" (Radical Homemakers 13).  And the system that comes with it.

As radical homemakers, we are "building a great bridge from our existing extractive economy [...] to a life-serving economy, where the goal is ,in the words of David Korten, to generate a living for all, rather than a killing for a few, [and, as Hayes goes on to say,] where our resources are sustained, our waters kept clean, our air pure, and families can lead meaningful and joyful lives" (Hayes RH 13).

Think about it.  Our children are sent to schools where they remain isolated from the family for over 40 hours a week.  Add bus travel time, homework, and school activities, and suddenly the family sees the children only rarely.  The point of the school system becomes one of preparing job skills rather than learning about the world, and our children are trotted from assembly room to assembly room throughout the years, being fitted with ever, supposedly, more intricate job skills.  If we live in a poor school district, our children are also likely being trained, subtly and not-so-subtly, for the military where they will fight, suffer, hurt others, and all too often, die themselves in rich men's wars.  At what point do we say, "Enough!"?

The Radical Homemakers Homeschool Association is for those who either have uttered that magic and freeing word or who would like to but are prevented by circumstances or perhaps even the lack of courage to say it.  We're here to support each other.  All are welcome who support these visions.  Although we are based in the Northwoods and will post most of our activities with the goal of bringing our children together in this region, perhaps the group will grow to include regions beyond this one.

Join us!  Stay tuned!  And happy radical homemaking!


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