The Victorian age in England is generally defined by the reign of Queen Victoria
from 1837 to 1901. Since the queen´s rulership was for such a long time, it is not
possible to discuss the whole period as one homogen part. There were so many
changes during the different phases of Victorias´s reign that the 64 years of her
rulership may be seperated into 3 different periods: the first period which lastet
until 1851 is a period of growth; England´s manufacturing and trading forces grew
more and more. In 1851 the Great Exhibition in London started the second and for
this paper most important period. Now England was the leading industrial country
in the world; the period of supremacy had begun.The late Victorian period covers
the last quarter of the century. During this phase England lost its supremacy and
the society had a more critical look on the earlier periods.1
The Victorian values which were developed by the middle class were most
influential during the second third of Victoria´s reign. During this time the middle
class grew significantly and became very important (for example through the
Reform Bills which enlarged the voting population as well as through their
growing wealth). Because of their new role in society middle-class opinions,
behavior and values were adopted by the other classes above and below.2
Therefore, it can be said that from its beginning onwards the mid-Victorian era
was and is of a special influence on the British society in past and present: “The
opening of the Great Exhibition was also the opening of the Golden Age of
Victorianism,...”.3 This “Golden Age” even has been recognized at the end of the
20th century when the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stated: “Victorian
Values were the values when our country became great.”4 Therefore, this term
paper will discuss the famous “Victorian Values” which were developed in one
class and later characterized a whole society.
How did the people of the middle class live in the middle of the 19th
century? How did they practise their morals and values? What were their morals
and ideals? [...]
1 David Thomson, England in the Nineteenth Century: 1815-1914 (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books 1991)
221-224.
2 Gottfried Niedhart, Geschichte Englands im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert, 3 Bände (München: Verlag C.H. Beck
1987) 39-49.
3 Thomson, England 19th Century, 100.
4 Asa Briggs, A Social History of England, 2nd edition (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1994) 249.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Historical Context of the Victorian Society
III. Class Distinction
3.1 Aristocracy
3.2 Middle Class
3.3 Working Class
IV. Victorian Values
4.1 The Family
4.2 The Middle-Class Man and Husband
4.3 The „Angel in the House“
4.4 Self-Help
4.5 Respectability
V. Conclusion
VI. References
VII. Appendixes
Objectives and Key Themes
This academic paper examines the social structure and moral code of mid-Victorian England, specifically focusing on how middle-class ideals shaped the broader society. It explores the living conditions, gender roles, and the evolving concept of "Victorian values" during the 19th century.
- Historical evolution of Victorian society and its class hierarchy.
- The role and influence of the middle class in defining social norms.
- Gendered expectations and the ideology of the domestic sphere.
- Moral concepts such as "Self-Help" and "Respectability" as markers of class status.
- The legacy of Victorian values in contemporary discourse.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 The Family
The Victorian family consisting of father, mother and children living together became more and more idealized by the Victorian people and therefore it was a central value. The queen herself and her husband became a good example of leading a respectable family life. Whithin the years Victoria gave birth to nine children and so they became a big family. The monarch´s family life set a fashion which was widely followed because Albert and Victoria spent much time on caring for their children, they supplied them with toys and books and planned their upbringing carefully.
Ideologically, the middle-class home and family represented the essence of morality, stability and comfort. The husband had legal and economic control over his wife, children, and servants. The family depended on his income: the wife did not bring in money through labor (as in the working class) or have a private settlement (as among gentry and aristocrats). The children remained subordinate and obedient. Boys, who needed extended schooling to reproduce their parents´ style of life, were under their father´s authority until they had enough training and experience to make their own way in the world. Girls were not expected to ´make their own way´ - with a very few exceptions, they stayed at home unless or until they were married.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter defines the Victorian era and establishes the focus on the influential role of the middle class in mid-Victorian England.
II. Historical Context of the Victorian Society: An overview of the significant demographic, technical, and political changes that transformed England during Queen Victoria's reign.
III. Class Distinction: A detailed breakdown of the hierarchical structure of Victorian society, including the aristocracy, middle class, and working class.
IV. Victorian Values: An exploration of the core moral tenets that governed Victorian life, including family structures, gender roles, and the concepts of Self-Help and Respectability.
V. Conclusion: A reflection on the enduring cultural legacy of the Victorian age and its contradictory meanings in modern political and social debates.
Keywords
Victorian Age, Middle Class, Victorian Values, Social Hierarchy, Industrialization, Gender Roles, Family Life, Respectability, Self-Help, Queen Victoria, Domesticity, Class Distinction, British Society, Morality, 19th Century England.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
This paper focuses on the societal structure and moral values of mid-Victorian England, specifically examining the development and influence of the middle class.
Which specific period of the Victorian era is the main subject?
The paper concentrates primarily on the mid-Victorian period, roughly spanning from the Great Exhibition in 1851 to 1875.
What is the central research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze how the middle class established and practiced specific morals and values that eventually characterized the entire Victorian society.
What methodology is used to approach this topic?
The research is based on a historical and analytical review of literature and social records from the 19th century to define social classes and cultural ideologies.
How is the main body structured?
The main body follows a logical flow from the historical context to specific class delineations, followed by an in-depth analysis of Victorian family dynamics, gender roles, and moral virtues.
Which concepts define Victorian morality?
The paper highlights concepts such as "Self-Help," "Respectability," and the idealization of the home as the central pillars of Victorian middle-class morality.
What is meant by the "Angel in the House"?
This refers to the Victorian ideal of the woman as a pure, domestic, and morally guiding figure, strictly subordinate to her husband and centered on the preservation of the home.
How did the concept of the "gentleman" evolve in this period?
During the Victorian era, the status of a gentleman shifted from being strictly defined by aristocratic birth and landed wealth to being based more on character, moral worth, and education.
- Citar trabajo
- Julia Schubert (Autor), 2002, Daily Life in Victorian England: The Middle Class and its Values, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/11739
