One of the four great inventions that changed human life: the study of gender relations in the sewing machine

In 1851, Isaac Singer of the United States had the first practical sewing machine, which sewed 900 stitches per minute, which was equivalent to 22 times that of a skilled female sewing worker. Joseph Needham's sewing machine has been called one of the "Four Great Inventions that changed human life". The life trajectory of the sewing machine is reflected in the life relationship between the designer, manufacturer, seller, consumer, user and machine of the sewing machine.

Earlier, Louise Walden studied the relationship between the sewing machine as a technical object and gender, described the impact of the sewing machine on the work of men and women, and argued that the sewing machine did not substantially change the cultural relations of the gender. Paula A. de la Cruz-Fernández found that the Sewing Machine Marketing Organization of the Singer brand was successful because it linked the sewing machine to the Mexican notion of "modern" women. Ju-Joan Wong and Hsiao-HuaChen investigated the use of sewing machines by Taiwanese women at different times, and found that women's experiences can reflect the mysteries of modern design. Yuan Rong analyzed the introduction and use of modern Shanghai sewing machines, involving the gender of users, and talked about the sewing machine as a sign of the pursuit of "modern female red" by middle- and upper-class women. Zhang Li examines the design history of the family sewing machine from 1850 to 1950, and proposes that the gender temperament of men and women is integrated in the design of the sewing machine.

It can be seen that the academic community pays more attention to the design, use and relationship between sewing machines and gender factors, and some scholars have investigated the users of modern Shanghai sewing machines, but have not yet explored the relationship between sewing machines as external technology (and local brands) and women's identity and social roles in the late Qing and Republic of China from the perspective of women as sewing machine consumers and users. We know that humans have created technological tools, and their social identities and lifestyles are constantly being influenced and changed in the process of using these technological tools. The philosopher of technology Andrew Feenberg said: "Consumer society has had a further impact on the issue of identity. The tools we use in our daily lives are not only useful but also tell us what kind of people we are. ”