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Family Roles & Space

Family Roles & Space

Contingently with subjectivity and economic development, the British household went through a revolution related to family roles. Traditional family structures were changed to integrate newly developed professional middle class members, forging relationships between unrelated, yet similarly minded individuals. An individual’s “core” of acquaintances became increasingly filled with friends and associates who were morally, intellectually, and emotionally supportive, as opposed to those sharing in a mutual material, social or political interest. These associates diversified the level, intensity and rationale of various relationships, and began incorporating more non-family members as important structures in the immediate social network.

A sentimentalized view of matrimony, depicting an intimate British family. Image by Thomas Colley, 1773, entitled “The Pleasures of Matrimony”.

During this time, while women were fighting for the right to become involved in and influence public spheres, the focus shifted back towards the home space. In comparison to public and political spaces, the home was a safe, private haven – and the maintenance of this family space was a representation of the family, as well as the woman in charge. It was more crucial than ever for women to maintain their homes adequately and appropriately, to avoid becoming the topic of public discussion. Ideas of domesticity became increasingly important, as was visible in contemporary methods for female education. Women were seen to need formation and education in order to properly care for their homes. While women were educated, it was often minimal; while the home was considered a private sphere, it was the main one within which women acted. The public sphere was designed to always be outside the reach of women.