Nineteenth century Europe experienced a huge shift in the economic integration in the society. The middle class and working class population increased. While the real wages increased in general, the expenses also increased. The gap between the rich and poor continued to endure as changed the role of women in the society based on their economic situation. Therefore, the statement that the place for women in the latter half of the nineteenth century seemed to be the home is not completely accurate. The role of the women were based on their economic condition. This paper will evaluate how women’s career decisions changed through the different economic sectors in Europe starting from the poor ...view middle of the document...
The reason being that “girls received less education than boys, were barred from universities, and could obtain only low- paid jobs.”
“Women’s sole purpose was to marry and reproduce. At mid-century women, outnumbered men by 360,000 (9.14m and 8.78m) and thirty percent of women over 20 were unmarried.” Men during the time gained sexual experience from maids or prostitutes while waiting late to marry to a women younger than them after being economically established. As a reason, many European women avoided the risks of being engaged in a romantic relationship and being pregnant. Instead, most waited to find a man with economic stability and be their wives and mother to their kids. Changing from industrial era, in the nineteenth century, women were more focused on children and home making because the middle class husband were able to earn significant income on their own. “The woman’s guidance of the household went hand in hand with the increased pride and emotional importance of home and family.”
Division of labor in the nineteenth century Europe became more rigid. Married women were restricted from working by the their husbands. Not only this, “with all women facing discrimination in education and employment and with middle-class women...