The Victorian Age, referring to Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to1901, was a period of drastic political, economic and social change. The impacts of the continuing industrialization affected people’s lives to a great extent. Different occupational patterns as well as renewed social and moral values emerged and shaped the society of this time. The family cannot be considered as a single unit since its interaction with its social environment cannot be denied. Hence, people’s home and family life also underwent a radical change. Yet, not all of England’s citizens were equally affected as the prevailing sharp separation into social classes brought about different prerequisites and chances to cope with the developments. Urban middle-class and working-class members were most susceptible to outside influences, and the purpose of my studies is therefore to analyze and compare their family lives during the Victorian era.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Background Information
2.1 Victorian Legislation Concerning Children
2.2 Social Classes
2.3 Perceptions of Childhood
3. Family Life
3.1 Doctrine of Two Spheres
3.2 Ideal of Womanhood
3.3 Family Constellations
3.4 Middle-Class Family Life
3.4.1 Marriage
3.4.2 Gender Roles
3.4.2.1 Men
3.4.2.2 Women
3.4.3 Children’s Upbringing
3.4.3.1 Education of Boys and Girls
3.5 Working-Class Family Life
3.5.1 Marriage
3.5.2 Gender Roles
3.5.2.1 Men
3.5.2.2 Women
3.5.3 Children between Work and School
3.5.3.1 Differences between Girls and Boys
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This study aims to analyze and compare the family life of the urban middle class and the working class in Victorian England, examining how social, economic, and political conditions influenced their domestic structures and relationships.
- The impact of Victorian legislation on childhood and family dynamics.
- The influence of the "Doctrine of Two Spheres" on gender roles across different social classes.
- The evolution of perceptions regarding childhood and child-rearing practices.
- Contrasting family structures, marriage patterns, and domestic environments.
- The role of industrialization in shaping class-specific responses to work, education, and social mobility.
Excerpt from the Book
3.4.2.2 Women
”It comes to this. Nature doesn't intend a married woman to be anything but a married woman. In the natural state of things, she must either be the slave of husband and children, or defy her duty. She can have no time to herself, no thoughts for herself. It's a hard saying, but who can doubt that it is Nature's law? I should like to revolt against it, yet I feel revolt to be silly. One might as well revolt against being born a woman instead of a man.”
Many middle-class women resigned to their role in society in the way the main characters in late Victorian writer Gissing’s novel ‘In the Year of Jubilee’ reflect on it.
Women were expected to comply with the ideal of womanhood and to keep out of the public sphere in order to concentrate on household and children instead.
As the value attached to child-rearing further increased, the demands for a respectable wife expanded significantly. The assumption that only one woman in fifty thousand was capable to raise her children properly became widely accepted.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the Victorian era as a period of significant social change and establishes the study's objective to compare the family lives of the middle and working classes.
2. Background Information: It explores the legal and social framework of the 19th century, covering legislative acts regarding children and the differentiation of social classes.
3. Family Life: This comprehensive chapter examines the ideological concepts of the time, such as the Doctrine of Two Spheres, and provides a comparative analysis of marriage, gender roles, and upbringing in both middle and working-class families.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes findings to illustrate how class distinctions, economic pressure, and shifting perceptions of childhood resulted in different lived realities for Victorian families.
Keywords
Victorian Age, Social Classes, Middle Class, Working Class, Family Life, Childhood, Doctrine of Two Spheres, Gender Roles, Industrialization, Child Labour, Education, Marriage, Domesticity, Victorian Legislation, Social Mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on comparing the family structures and social realities of the urban middle class and the working class during the Victorian era.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
Key themes include the impact of industrialization on home life, the "Doctrine of Two Spheres," changing perceptions of childhood, and the divide between public and private spheres.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The study aims to analyze how social and economic conditions created distinct patterns of family life, gender expectations, and child-rearing across two specific social strata.
Which methodology is used to approach this topic?
The study utilizes a historical and socio-analytical approach, incorporating legislative history, societal norms, and contemporary literature to contrast family behaviors.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body investigates the legislative context, the rise of childhood as a distinct period, the ideal of womanhood, and the differing realities of middle-class domesticity versus the working-class need for survival.
Which key terms characterize this study?
Central terms include "Victorian Age," "Social Classes," "Doctrine of Two Spheres," and "Family Life," reflecting the socio-economic scope of the analysis.
How did the "Doctrine of Two Spheres" affect middle-class women?
It defined their role as guardians of a domestic, "safe" haven, strictly separating them from the "corrupt" public sphere and placing the burden of emotional and moral management solely on them.
Why did the reality of working-class families contradict the "Doctrine of Two Spheres"?
Financial necessity forced many working-class women and children into the public sphere to work in factories, making the ideal of a solely domestic, submissive wife unattainable for them.
What role did education play in Victorian class dynamics?
For the middle class, it served as a tool for social reproduction, while for the working class, it was initially a struggle for survival or basic literacy rather than a vehicle for social mobility.
- Quote paper
- Christina Schlüter (Author), 2008, Home and Family Life in Victorian England, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/112613
