Rest is a Radical Act
Photograph: Courtesy of Surabhi Yadav, from The Guardian
We share with you this recent piece about women and leisure in India from The Guardian. Though widespread, the gendered issue of the relationship between work and rest manifests differently in different cultures. For traditional Jewish observers of shabbat and Christian observers of sabbath, gender also plays a large role, as most of the work preparing for and conducting these days of rest -- cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking and serving its celebratory meals -- falls on the women of the household. Such examples raise vital questions: who can afford to withdraw from the demands of work? whose labor makes rest, withdrawal and leisure time possible? who gets to benefit from withdrawal, rest and leisure time?