British Social Concepts Of Feminie Seen From Factory Legislation In Nineteenth-century Britain

The concepts of feminie means people's views on .the experiences, statues and values of female existence. As a kind of social ideology, the concepts of feminie is a reflection of the social economy, politics, and culture factors in that age, which will have different appearances with the changes of the society. The question I pursue here, relate to the different ideas of feminie of three groups relating to the factory legislation in the 19th century Britain - middle class, workingman and workingwoman. Through the analysis of the concepts of feminie, my intention is to explore the roots and essentials of the ideologies of feminie in the 19~th century Britain.A series of protective legislation in the 19th century Britain shortened women's work hours and improved women's working-conditions, which protected women workers to a certainty. However, protective legislation based on "family angles" mainstream concepts of feminie, which didn't affirm women's independent status. The text will demonstrate concepts of feminie from middle class, workingman and workingwoman separately.Middle class who promoted protective legislation supported 'family angles' concepts of feminie and criticized factory women workers phenomenon. They called on legislation to limit workingwomen's employment, so as to get the women's freedom in their hands. Workingman was the nuclear group to support factory legislations. They gradually accepted the middle-class concept of feminie in the struggle with the bad environment. They shaped a new concept of gender, which was 'woman service at home'. Workingwomen who were compelled to work outside by industrialization, believed that 'woman's sphere is family' and dreamed to live as the angles of family.Although there is some difference comparing three groups' concepts of feminie, much same points existed in it. The middle-class ideas dominated other two. The protective factory legislation were the outcome of the combination of industrial capitalism and family paternalism, which encumbered the improvement of women's statues.In short, the protective legislation based on middle-class concepts of feminie, can't change women's status rudimentarily. The realization of this change needs not only the progression of social economy and science, but also the transformation of social gender concepts.