Ideas with Impact
UNB Faculty of Management

Beginning in 1950, the dramatic surge in electricity sales to Canadian households transformed daily life and household dynamics nationwide. In his recent article entitled "Leisure Jobs: Recreating Family and Social Life in Canadian Electric Utility Marketing, 1920–1970," published in the Business History Review , Dr. David Foord examines how electricity was marketed to communities and households, and its profound impact on families, particularly the rise of leisure time and the new roles it created for women.

A business professor with UNB’s faculty of management, Dr. Foord is known for his research on the history and social impact of technology. His work delves into both historical and social science research, focusing on the change and continuity of technology.

His article highlights how the electrification of households transformed family dynamics from "family-as-labour" to "family-as-leisure." Electric utilities played a significant role in shaping domestic culture and promoting leisure activities as part of daily life.

Unlike manufacturers of durable goods, utilities collaborated with social movements and various groups to market electricity as a means to enhance family life and social interactions. They used home service organizations to deliver product demonstrations, speeches, and cookbooks, emphasizing convenience, money-saving, and gender roles.

Utilities like BC Electric, Montreal Light, Heat & Power, and Toronto Hydro involved a wide range of contributors, including academics, appliance manufacturers, and homemakers, to create and disseminate their messages.

Their marketing campaigns aimed to show how electricity could make family relationships more intimate and enjoyable. Advertisements depicted women enjoying leisure time with their families, and appliances were marketed as tools to facilitate family activities. This approach helped shape societal expectations of family and social life, promoting the idea of a happy, contented family supported by electric living.

Dr. Foord teaches courses in entrepreneurship and innovation. As the inaugural Wilson-McKenna Fellow in Digital Sustainability, he is designing a new course on the environmental, social, and governance industry. He collaborates with several entities involved with decarbonization including municipal, provincial and federal levels of government, as well as Emera, Smart Grid Innovation Network and NetZero Atlantic.

His research interests include the history of technology including the development of powered bionic hands, oil and gas, telecommunications, and electrical power. From a social science perspective, he explores the dynamics of social and technical change, seeking to understand pathways to decarbonization and their implications for policy and management.

Photo: UNB business professor Dr. David Foord sheds light on how electrification redefined Canadian homes in the 20th century.

Learn more about David Foord and UNB’s faculty of management.

Media contact: Liz Lemon-Mitchell