Essay On The Cult Of Domesticity
Many people argue that the “cult of domesticity” and child-centered families were a restriction on women status and condition. However, I believe they were key reasons as to why women status and conditions improved. Yes they further separated the private world of women from the public world of men, but I feel like these ideals did so much more.
As single women who worked jobs married, they dropped their paying occupations to work as wives and mothers. They were immersed in the “cult of domesticity”, which became a widespread cultural creed. It glorified the functions of the homemaker, where women commandeered immense moral power. From here they would make decisions that would forever change the characteristics of American families.
Love became a major factor in choosing a spouse, where previously parental choice was. Although still regulated by a parent’s possible veto, families became more affectionate and closely knit. Surprisingly, family size also shrunk during this time period. The average family had six members at …show more content…
Many reformers, like Catharine Beecher, celebrated the role of the good homemaker (Kennedy, pg. 331). With many women eager to break down the barriers between the roles of men and the roles of women, it is easy to see how the cult of domesticity and child-centered families set in motion future reformers and activists.
The cult of domesticity didn’t put women in a particularly strong position to challenge social norms of the time. In fact, many women felt they were trapped in a gilded cage, not part of a glorified sanctuary. However, it allowed them to influence and teach future generations, thus allowing them to improve women status and condition over time. These new families, with lessons focusing on morals and individual accountability, also helped to progress American democratic ideals across the
As single women who worked jobs married, they dropped their paying occupations to work as wives and mothers. They were immersed in the “cult of domesticity”, which became a widespread cultural creed. It glorified the functions of the homemaker, where women commandeered immense moral power. From here they would make decisions that would forever change the characteristics of American families.
Love became a major factor in choosing a spouse, where previously parental choice was. Although still regulated by a parent’s possible veto, families became more affectionate and closely knit. Surprisingly, family size also shrunk during this time period. The average family had six members at …show more content…
Many reformers, like Catharine Beecher, celebrated the role of the good homemaker (Kennedy, pg. 331). With many women eager to break down the barriers between the roles of men and the roles of women, it is easy to see how the cult of domesticity and child-centered families set in motion future reformers and activists.
The cult of domesticity didn’t put women in a particularly strong position to challenge social norms of the time. In fact, many women felt they were trapped in a gilded cage, not part of a glorified sanctuary. However, it allowed them to influence and teach future generations, thus allowing them to improve women status and condition over time. These new families, with lessons focusing on morals and individual accountability, also helped to progress American democratic ideals across the