Women’s Work series delivered on its promise of intellectual provocation with a wide-ranging and deeply reflective episode exploring gender, philosophy, and the meaning of labor in American society. Hosted by Dr. Chris Hedlin, Associate Director of Notre Dame’s Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society, and joined by Dr. Paul Blaschko, a philosopher of virtue ethics and the philosophy of work, the conversation unpacked feminist theory, cultural assumptions, and the everyday realities of women’s labor—both paid and unpaid.
Setting the Stage for Big Questions
Hedlin opened the episode by framing Women’s Work as a space for interrogating how labor becomes gendered. Why are certain roles seen as “women’s work”? How is labor depicted in literature and culture? And how are female writers and philosophers reshaping the narrative of meaningful work? These questions, central to the Sheedy Family Program’s interdisciplinary mission, grounded the episode’s inquiry across history, philosophy, and lived experience.
Philosophy of Work: Framing the Inquiry
Blaschko offered a succinct and compelling introduction to the philosophy of work, positioning it within virtue ethics—the study of how to live well and flourish. He shared questions that guide his teaching and research: What is work? How do we distinguish it from leisure or play? Why do so many people tie self-worth to career success? These reflections set the philosophical tone for a conversation that challenged mainstream definitions of meaning and success.
Feminist Perspectives and the Evolution of “Women’s Work”
Together, the speakers traced the shifting cultural and historical meanings of “women’s work.” Blaschko explored the term’s evolution from its ancient association with managing the home (oikonomikos) to its idealization and restriction in the Victorian era, as reflected in the sentimental poem The Angel in the House. Virginia Woolf’s fierce rejection of that ideal—her call to “kill the angel in the house”—was presented as a pivotal feminist moment reclaiming agency and authorship.
The discussion also revisited the feminist movements of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly the “wages for housework” campaign. While this effort sought to economically validate unpaid labor, Hedlin noted critiques that warned against simply reinforcing domestic roles with pay. Drawing on bell hooks, she underscored how these debates often ignored the realities of Black women and working-class women who were never exempt from the labor market. The episode emphasized the need for an intersectional feminism—attuned to how race, class, and history shape access to dignity and choice in work.
The Challenge of Valuing Unpaid Labor
A central tension in the conversation was how society values caregiving and domestic work. Hedlin referenced Caroline Criado Perez, who advocates for incorporating unpaid labor into GDP calculations to shape better policy. Yet Blaschko offered a caution: while assigning economic value can aid recognition, it may flatten the deeper moral and emotional meaning of care. His own research—interviews with women reflecting on their labor—revealed that many view such work as “priceless,” beyond market logic. Recognition, they agreed, matters—but real value is not always quantifiable.
A Pluralistic Framework for Meaningful Work
One of the most illuminating moments of the episode was the discussion of Andrea Veltman’s pluralistic account of meaningful work, which both speakers teach. Veltman outlines four overlapping dimensions:
- Human Capability – Work can cultivate unique skills or intellectual abilities.
- Virtue Development – Work that nurtures traits like empathy, patience, or integrity carries deep meaning.
- Purposefulness – Work is meaningful when it contributes to others or aligns with personal values.
- Life Integration – When work harmonizes with one’s relationships, identity, and commitments, it becomes meaningful.
Using examples from caregiving to carpentry, they emphasized that context matters. Washing dishes, for instance, can be meaningful when done for a loved one—but dehumanizing when done in a thankless job. A throughline was agency: the ability to choose and have one’s labor acknowledged.
Literature and the Quiet Power of Intrinsic Meaning
Hedlin introduced Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story Sur, in which a secret group of women becomes the first to reach the South Pole—but choose not to publicize their feat. The story subverts dominant narratives of success by centering meaning over recognition. Blaschko praised the piece as a profound meditation on agency and self-defined achievement, a reminder that public acclaim is not the only—or even the best—measure of worth.
Why It Matters
The episode concluded with a call to both cultural and personal reflection. Blaschko emphasized that interrogating the meaning of work isn’t merely academic—it’s essential to living a flourishing life. In a society steeped in “achievementism,” pausing to question inherited assumptions allows us to realign work with values that actually matter.
An Invitation to Continue the Conversation
Listeners were encouraged to explore these questions further through Notre Dame’s Women’s Work course, alumni networks, and personal dialogue. True to the mission of ThinkND, the episode offered a space for thoughtful, inclusive exploration—challenging old frameworks and inviting new ones grounded in dignity, agency, and care.
