Throughout the history of Europe, the role of women has drastically been altered. The Middle Ages saw peasant women working side by side with their husbands and taking care of their children at home. As time passed by, women were given an increased amount of rights, and then the cottage industry took over, providing thousands of women the opportunity to work as in the comfort of their home. The eruption of the agricultural revolution and technological advance soon swept England and the continent, further increasing opportunities. Work was now done in factories, which started off as family units for convenience, but soon split off because of increasing urbanization and industrialization. The 19th century saw such alterations, and the role of a woman came under investigation as mothers were unable to perform their necessary house duties and take care of the children, because of the need to work. As the role of women changed within the Renaissance and Enlightenment, it would also adapt to the new urban, industrial landscape. Although monetarily these changes proved to be favorable, the social developments brought by the Industrial revolution separated the family, led to more dangerous work both physically and mentally, and also stood as a challenge to femininity, all to the extent of changing everyday life. As the birth of industrialization and urbanization took place, it greatly affected the everyday lives of working-class women. In the beginning, as factories lacked a
With the help of the Industrial Revolution, women made significant strives in changing the traditional economic roles given to females. Before the industrial revolution the only opportunity for a woman to be financially secure was for that woman to marry a financially secure husband. This created women’s dependence on men because if the man died they would have no source of income. The Industrial Revolution provided many women with jobs of their own helping women to become self-dependant. This self-dependence allowed for women to pursue interests not involving men, such as
Women during the age of Industrialization in Britain conceded and proclaimed a more noticeable system of equality. As women protested for more rights, occupational opportunities, and increased wages, they drastically alternated their lives. As more women were working in factories, the differences in the lives of men and women decreased. Urbanization played a considerable role in the development of Industrial Britain. In certain conditions women were still separate as they had distinctive jobs, pay, and were still expected to do the tasks at home, all the while in atrocious conditions that were not always sympathized, but more overlooked.
The Renaissance, with took place in Italy and Northern Europe, inspired major changes in social life. Humanism, or the idea that men needed to educate themselves to be the best humans, was one of the reasons for these changes. They started going to schools and expressing themselves artistically, these new actions brought about the belief that men were superior. The assumed role of men during the Renaissance was to be dominant. They were to fight in battles and wars, hold a position for office, and do honor to their family name. In comparison, the roles of women were drastically different, they were submissive. It was thought that women should obey her husband and father, bear children, and not be educated, as many men were.
The west’s Industrial Revolution transitioned the roles of women in many ways. Industrialization abuse into women’s traditional work, but aimed to expand educational opportunities. Some work roles led to protests creating riots as attention shifted to work-based strikes, including feminism, developed by 1914. Although for women it was very dangerous, working conditions
During the long nineteenth century, political revolutions, industrialization, and European imperialism resulted in dramatic changes in the role of women in Western Europe and Eastern Asia. As industrialization spread in Western Europe, women were no longer able to fulfill their dual role as a mother and a worker. After the introduction of industrialization, laborious tasks were moved from the household to factories and women were forced to choose either the life of a mother or the life of a worker. Women who chose to leave their households were subjected to harsh conditions, low wages, and long hours. The majority of married and middle-class women were confined to the home, and deprived of an education and civil rights. Unlike the
The Renaissance was a time of enlightenment and discovery around the world. There were many advancements in culture, art, and science. An interesting area to look at for this period would be the advancements made based on gender. Historically, women do not always have a significant impact on their culture, and they do not always have the same standing as their male counterparts. Margaret L. King and Joan Kelly-Gadol delve deeper into the issue of gender advancements during the Renaissance when they analyze the issue of whether women and men benefitted equally during this period.
The resilience of women and the hardship of men were prominent during this time. However, women were still deeply grounded in their home life (Bolin, 74). Particularly women from middle-income families were left with job of being able to balance work and home life (Bolin, 74). Being a caregiver and taking care of the domestic needs of the home was very important. During this time tradition values were deeply routed in the home. Women made sure not let their home life consume them because their may focus was being a good wife and mother. This is a trend that has made its way even in today’s society. “Even now lack of adequate day-care (necessitating private baby-sitting service), low paying jobs for women, and the growth of technologies that open the door to and “electronic cottage industry”, indicate that women’s home production is a mutable but perhaps permanent response to women’s economic and social inequality under capitalism” (Hollingsworth, & Tyyska). The oppression in the past is shown to have made and imprint on society even to this day. Even though
Between the 1300s and 1500s, Europe experienced a period of cultural rebirth known as the Renaissance, marking the transition from medieval times to modern times. The Renaissance brought new importance to individual expression, self-consciousness and worldly experience.
The Roles of Women during the Enlightenment and Transcendental Period: The Tell of Rowson versus Fuller
Many of people today feel trapped inside their homes, just how the women of Pre-Industrial Europe felt. Working day in and day out inside the homes, just to keep the family together, and make a little money on the side, these women were an integral part of Pre-Industrial families. Not only were the women important to Pre-Industrial European families, but so were the households. Much of the money was made in the households, and this is where families either succeeded or failed. The household and women of Pre-Industrial Europe played an integral role in the economy of the families, and more importantly, the women of these households kept them running
The Enlightenment was a movement that started in the 17th century, but continued in the 18th and 19th century. It was a turning point in history, where people explored, and considered answers outside of their religious beliefs. The Enlightenment challenged social structures, forms of government, and even religion. More people were led to ask more questions on sciences without the fear of being prosecuted. Writings of the Enlightenment brought on quite a few debates regarding women. A lot of women played active roles in the era of enlightenment, which was indefinitely a pro-male movement. The mentality of Enlightenment thinkers had placed women in a traditional “role”. They completely disregarded any benefits that these women could offer
The industrial revolution swept through Europe and North America during the 19th century, affecting the class structure, economy, government, and even the religious practices of everyone who lived in or did commerce with these new "industrialized nations." It made the modern age possible, but it was not without its "growing pains." The position of women before the industrial revolution was often equivalent to chattel, and then as now, they were expected to take naturally to housework and child rearing. The history of working women in the Industrial Revolution is rife with accounts of abuse and tragedy, but overall it improved their position in capitalist societies. Below, I will explain the
A critical point in European history was the Renaissance period, which took place between 1300-1700. The term Renaissance stands for ‘rebirth’, and in this context refers to the increased interest that was taken in learning from Greek and Roman classical writing. Recent exploration by historians into the Renaissance period has seen a fixation on the discussion of the role of gender during the Renaissance. A variety of historians, such as Joan Kelly and Merry E. Weisner, believe that women didn’t experience any form of a Renaissance during this period. It can be widely acknowledged that during this period society did experience a ‘rebirth’, especially in terms of the role of the men in Europe. Women, on the other hand, weren’t as fortunate.
Previously, women were never looked at as equal to men because of past social traditions. Men were considered superior to women. Women had to follow their husband’s footsteps, and not publicly share their opinions. In the 16th Century through 18th century, women were limited in their involvement politically and socially in public because they were looked as only being mothers and wives, however, during this time new gains in education and politics because of Enlightenment ideals allowed women to more actively participate publicly, but ultimately had a small effect on all women as most of them still stayed at home and kept viewpoints out of the public eye.
As many may think, women weren’t as important during the renaissance period. Some seem to believe that women had it easier than they do today. Some even believe that they had much more power and independence. If only that were true. Women who showed too much independence, sexual or otherwise, were punished and sometimes even killed (Wiesner 59). Women were made to be seen as saints and remained loyal to one man. During the renaissance period, women went through many hardships and many things were expected of her by her family, as well as her husband. You might ask, what was marriage, education, and employment like for women during the renaissance period?