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Improving Homemakers’ Leisure Time

Improving Homemakers’ Leisure Time
Improving Homemakers’ Leisure Time

A survey on Iranian housewives has not been conducted so far and therefore adequate information on them is lacking.  For that reason, “we are not fully aware of their social and cultural needs,” said Leila Falahati, head of the Department of Women Studies, Iranian Institute for Social and Cultural Studies, affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.

Many people brush aside the role of housewives and relegate them to a lowly status, “as they do not play a role in national development.” But housework and home chores has a great impact on the country’s economy and development; therefore, special attention should be paid to this important social group,” ISNA quoted her as saying.

Housewives spend a lot of time at home. Unfortunately, no program has been devised to fill their leisure time intellectually, Falahati said.

“Our concern is not about upper class homemakers as they fill their free time by enrolling in different leisure activities. But, lower and lower-middle class housewives spend most of their leisure hours watching satellite TV programs or social networking, which are affordable and accessible; so, they are exposed to all kinds of cultural messages which may make them vulnerable.”

Many of the programs can have adverse effects and change their social and cultural attitudes, resulting in social harm to their families, she maintained.

“However, restricting access to TV programs and social networking is not a sustainable solution. Instead, we should create inexpensive and accessible alternatives. As an example, we can encourage them to go to cinema by offering discounts on tickets, or special days for them.

Earlier Mohammad-Reza Rostami, advisor to the minister of sports and youth affairs said most of the ‘viber’ and ‘telegram’ application users are housewives. As housewives run and manage families, any social harm to them can impact the entire family.

Financialtribune.com