A Woman's Place

Paper Summary:

The paper explores several issues such as gender stereotyping, education and "conduct literature", to show the place of women in the 18th century and how they changed and improved in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the Industrial Revolution, social reform and greater opportunities.

From the Paper:

"In contrast, "courtesy manuals" for men dating back to the Renaissance instructed men in obtaining social status through courtly habits and refined manners. Conduct books for women concentrated on the virtues of modest restraint and domestic subordination, contributing to the differentiation of public and private spaces for men and women.
These manuals perpetuated the thinking that there were two sets of rules for men and women regarding everything from morals and sexual conduct to fashion. Women of the 18th and 19th century were not free to dress as they pleased but rather were corseted and covered beyond our wildest imaginations. Layer upon layer of material and hoops kept a woman "under cover", only to be seen by her husband. Obviously, the principles of Puritan piety and virtue held fast for women during this time period. "

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