Reading through the materials of Lillian Gilbreth’s work I noticed that in addition to her contributions to engineering and design, Lillian Gilbreth is also an active voice for women. She has written several articles about why women should work, and she uses data and logic to prove that women are not inferior to men at work. She also encourages women to be educated and be confident. In one of her works, she says “…women who would succeed in business must realize that success will come to them not because they are women…but because they are trained, adequate, understanding human beings (Gilbreth)” which is a powerful line indicating a female need to try hard to be a brilliant person. Lilian’s achievements as a woman suppressed by her father are also an encouragement to other women. Since the world into which Lillian Gilbreth was born in 1878 was one based on the concept of “the woman’s place is in the home”(Whitney), her contribution to the modern kitchen also shows how women are powerful and know how to do human-centered designs.
Work Citations
Chong, Isis, and Robert W. Proctor. “Lillian Gilbreth and Amelia Earhart: How an Eye toward Diversity Brought Two Pioneers Together.” Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications, vol. 29, no. 2, 2019, pp. 13–18., https://doi.org/10.1177/1064804619894399.
Gilbreth, Lillian M. “Efficiency of Women Workers.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 143, [Sage Publications, Inc., American Academy of Political and Social Science], 1929, pp. 61–64, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1017187.
Gilbreth, Lillian M. “Why Women Succeed in Business.” The North American Review, vol. 226, no. 2, University of Northern Iowa, 1928, pp. 158–66, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25110549.
Grudin, Jonathan, and Gayna Williams. “Two Women Who Pioneered User-Centered Design.” Interactions, vol. 20, no. 6, 2013, pp. 15–20., https://doi.org/10.1145/2530538.
Jane, Whitney G., et al. “Viewing the Work of Lillian M. Gilbreth through the Lens of Critical Biography.” Journal of Management History, vol. 21, no. 3, 2015, pp. 288-308. ProQuest, http://proxy.cca.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/viewing-work-lillian-m-gilbreth-through-lens/docview/2138087186/se-2?accountid=30962, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JMH-01-2014-0014.
