An Discussion On Women’s Family Status In Proto-industrialization Period Of Britain

The16th and17th century was a transitional period of Britain that from agricultural society to industrial society, namely so-called proto-industrialization period by the scholar. The development of social ideology, politics and economy in transitional period had an effect not only on the development of Britain society but also on the vicissitude fate of British women. In proto-industrialization period of Britain, the division of labor between man and woman in a family fully displayed women’s "golden age", that is to say, couple of each class was in a relationship of well-cooperation, they made effort together for family’s welfare. Even though, the concept that "Man is superior to woman" did not change much. In such a marriage image supported by society, the male was in dominant position and the female was just subordinate mate. In real life, the limited files illustrates that power allocation in a family was usually differed according to couple’s characters to a large extent in early modern Britain. While, decisions still mainly made by husband. This thesis aims at exploring and analyzing women’s family status by making proto-industrialization period as background, describing women’s division of labor in each social class and their nothingness of legal standing, and observing women’s subordinate standing in family personal life. What the above makes us feel, though early modern Britain has taken on some modernized light of civilization, the family field had not taken significant and fundamental place, including traditional view of family, marriage and gender relations. The thesis intends to throw a minnow to catch a whale. It reveals British women’s positive function in family before Industrial Revolution by adopting perspective that combined sociology and history science to analyze British women’s family status in this period.