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Women in the Victorian Society - Coggle Diagram
Women in the Victorian Society
I) The Position and Role of Women in Victorian Society
Separate spheres theory
Men
: mind of the society, "doing", political action, strength, natural place = public sphere, protect women from evil ->
breadwinner
Women
: heart of the society, "being", emotions (love, care), morally superior BUT mentally and physically superior, protected by men ->
homewaker
[if different: imbalanced, hysteria]
If not respected: collapse of the society // marriage = ideal state of women
In 1850: ~85% of women to be married at least once before being 50yo
1849:
Shirley
, Charlotte Bronte : bemoaned the lot of teh single woman (failed her life)
Marriage brought problems for women
All the woman's money/possessions became the property of her husband
If marriage failed: husband was legally entitled to keep the children
Divorce restricted++, expensive [new system in 1857]
Drunkenness and wife-beating = common ++, little legal protection
No contraception: normal for couples to have lots of children // menstruation ("poorly time") thought to make them semi-hysterical
1860s: Contagious Diseases Act -> regulated prostitution (bc syphilis etc.)
II) Victorian Women at work
1851: 34.6% (2.8M) of Brit women were in paid work! (++ married to unemployed men, unmarried etc.) -> 5M in 1901
Described as "servants" in middle classes houses
Industrialization: started to work in the textile industry (Lancashire, Yorkshire) -> spinners, weavers
Others worked in agriculture (- and - with rural exodus)
Working women critisized bc : left family, "negligent" mothers (high rate child mortality) BUT little evidence
Women became writers and were best-selling nevelists: Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell Maria Edgeeworth, Amelia Opie and Mary Shelley, (
Frankenstein
in 1818)
III) The Campaing to Improve the Status of Women
Campaign for women gained strength
=> J.S. Mill
On the subjection of women
i, 1869 (equal rights + artificial nature of women)
BUT mainly supported by middle and upper classes
EDUCATION : 1850, Frances Mary Byss => North London Collegiate School for Ladies.
1858, Dorothea Beale introduced a modern curriculum in the new Cheltenham Ladies’ College (maths, science)
More and + universities allowed women to take degrees : London College in 1878 BUT not at Oxford until 1920 and Cambridge 1948
Feminist Figures of the 19th Century
3)
Florence Nightingale
(1820–10): Crimean war, in charge of nursing in the military hospitals, improved the conditions/facilities -> enormous prestige! -> 1860 school for nurses + committed her life to improve situation of women in workhouses
2)
Caroline Norton
(1808–77): influence Parliament (friend with L Melbourne) => judges could grant the mother custody // Divorce Bill (1857) allowed women who left husband to keep some property (if reasonable grounds) :
4)
Elisabeth Garrett
(1836–17): [earned a degree in Paris and became a doctor] campaign to enable women to enter medical professions => 1874 London School of Medicine for Women
1)
Elizabeth Fry
(1780–45): Quaker interested in prison reforms (++ for women) -> sexes should be separated + education in prison -> influenced R. Peel (Jails Act 1823)
Important Milestones
1886: the hated Contagious Diseases Acts were repealed (J. Butler)
1886: The Guardianship of Children Act => allowed a mother to claim custody of her children if her marriage broke up.
1888: Women who could vote for local elections could do so for the new county and borough councils
1882: Married Women’s Property Act => married woman could still be the separate owner of her property
1894: right to vote given to married and unmarried in new urban and rural district councils + could stand for these elections
1869: right to vote in local elections for women who owned a house (rate payers)
1792:
Mary Wollstonecraft
A Vindication of the Rights of Women.
Education for girls was deliberately lightweight & frivoulous
Advocated for free state education for everybody.
BUT IF girls and boys were given the same educ, women would be better wives/mothers and better abilities in many professions