Title: Diversification and Conflicts in Women's Roles in the Late 19th Century Society
Abstract: ABSTRACT.The latter half of 19th century in Romania was a time of unprecedented change and emancipation for women in regard to political engagement, legal status, access to higher education, and their entrance into professions and public life. In addition, their visibility in professional world of literature and arts enabled them to start forging a tradition of their own. Their evolution corresponded to economic and political development of Romania. The present article examines 19th century cultural impact on women's changing social status and diversification and reshaping of their lives.Keywords: 19th century Romanian society, women's emancipation, civic responsibility, social struggleThe 19m century is marked by fact that women are regarded as objects in all social categories. They are condemned to resign themselves and to become what social institutions based on moral and religion expect them to be. The society not only represents background for women but also a powerful force that tries to make them obey. The images of a woman and her feminine nature, presented and required by society, are very old: her images as a wife and as a mother. But alienation of women is more relevant as they accept these images and do not intend to change anything.But, with beginning of 19th century, women consider that their intellectual inferiority is generated by their deficient in education, and they accuse both society and men for keeping them in ignorance, in order to dominate them better. In this respect, in her article Starea femeilor si mijlocul prin care se vor putea emancipa [The Woman's Status and Means Through Which She Could Emancipate], Sofia Nadejde outlines fact that the education given so far to woman was always dictated by fashion, and never by logic, and condemns prejudice that most important of all, a girl must know how to make herself beautiful and attractive. In order to achieve these, it is necessary that she knows how to dance, to sing, and to stammer in French.1 N. I. Tro fin adds more reasons: Men, that are very willing to dominate women, stopped them learning. But they made a mistake and continue making huge mistakes! Because, if well educated and bred, a woman would respect her husband and she would love him more, and would not cheat on him. An ignorant and therefore ungrateful woman, becomes easily guilty to her husband, because she is very much blinded by greediness for money and for other earthly things, which could confuse and determine her to sell her body and spirit only to fulfill her greed and lust for an ephemeral life.2The maintaining of woman in a state of intellectual inferiority is also reflected in education system. The rural and urban elementary and secondary schools for girls were in a smaller number than those for boys. This fact reflects large number of illiterate women. In a poll regarding cases in which women have signed matrimonial documents, it has been established that, between 1870 and 1890, only 35 out of 100 women in cities, and 4-5 out of 100 women in villages signed this type of documents.The public schools for girls were just a few and people who were working in them were all men, sometimes priests. The state of cultural inferiority of women was also consequence of structuring school curriculum for secondary schools for girls in a different way than in case of schools for boys. After 1864, curriculum for elementary school was identical for boys and girls (the girls attended also courses of housekeeping education) in secondary schools, girls' education being guided towards literature, art and domestic economy in order to prepare them for family life.In rural environment, girls' education is oriented only towards domestic life. They learn to cook, to spin, to sew, to go with animals to pasture, to take care of house and to obey to family's rules. …
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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