Voices in the Kitchen - Ch. 1 A Place of Their Own

Chapter 1 of Voices in the Kitchen explores through a Feminist lens, gender and its places that are rooted in ideology. Abarca wants readers and/or contemporary Feminists to recognize variations of independence. Just because a woman chooses her stereotypical place in the home doesn’t mean she was forced there or devoid of opportunity in the public sphere. Instead, the kitchen becomes a place of self-awareness and agency, and modern Feminists should be mindful and respect this choice. The kitchen can become a place where women can show their love for family through nourishment.

Ch. 2 is entitled A Place of their Own -appropriating the kitchen space. Appropriating in this context is a positive claiming of space. Abarca paints a picture of her mother feeling independence and pride in her first kitchen (2 years after cohabitating with in-laws). This is the space where her mother was able to become who she is today. Home is not a static, but a dynamic place where often the mother is master at multitasking. These women are acting with agency!

Another issue addressed in this chapter was the overarching theme of patriarchy and how that influences architecture. Outdated models of homes typically have the kitchen in the back next to the laundry room, keeping the woman working and out of sight. In other words, keeping the woman in the private sphere. There is a separation of public and private spheres, yes, and Abarca is asking to bring women into that discussion. What works in a home’s functionality?

The Feminist view of wanting to liberate the woman from the kitchen is fair and objective, but who’s to say that a woman who chooses the kitchen as her work space is wrong? Why deny these women the power to narrate their own experiences? The kitchen doesn’t always have to have a negative connotation for Feminists. It can be a space of trust. Women can use this space to gain capital. These women flip the script, as their confidence grows in her appropriated space. These women are Feminists, even if they don’t realize it!