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Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870. / Wilma R Thomas

Swansea University Author: Wilma R Thomas

Abstract

This thesis has sought to fill a gap in Welsh social history in its focusing on women's role and status in rural society. It is claimed, moreover, that the period covered allows us to capture the position of women within the traditional rural economy before the huge changes setting in during th...

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Published: Swansea, Wales 2003
Institution: Swansea University
Degree level: Doctoral
Degree name: Ph.D
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42585
first_indexed 2018-08-02T18:55:03Z
last_indexed 2024-11-25T13:35:55Z
id cronfa42585
recordtype RisThesis
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spelling 2024-11-20T15:53:24.4606110 v2 42585 2018-08-02 Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870. 13364c0be929d2307da04ad01167f981 NULL Wilma R Thomas Wilma R Thomas true true 2018-08-02 This thesis has sought to fill a gap in Welsh social history in its focusing on women's role and status in rural society. It is claimed, moreover, that the period covered allows us to capture the position of women within the traditional rural economy before the huge changes setting in during the final decades of the nineteenth century, not least the movement of women out of agriculture, and, of many, out of the countryside altogether, worked for the young in particular a profound change in their circumstances. The approach is an overarching one which deliberately seeks to explain the subject from as wide a perspective as possible. As such, it may be open to criticism that insufficient focus is given to certain areas as women's migration, spinsterhood, old age and to those few privileged females occupying the middling and upper ranks in society. The defence I make in adopting this comprehensive treatment is that it the more easily allows us to perceive the total world inhabited by women and to appreciate their predicament within the larger society. The thesis falls naturally into two sections, namely, first, women's participation in the rural workforce and their material circumstances, and, second, their public responsibilities and recreational pursuits and their private lives. The three chapters in section one cover female employment, women and the domestic economy, and coping with poverty. It will be demonstrated how precarious life was for small farmers' and cottagers' families and the vital role which women played in their continuing survival; of significance here was the fact that young girls were expected to enter farm service and domestic service in order to support themselves. Section two will examine their life outside the sphere of work. This will, firstly, explore their recreation and leisure activities and seek to understand their system of values and beliefs. The discussion will then turn to examining women's public role within the community, and here particular attention will be drawn to their importance as providers of nurture and care and as upholders of the community's morality and enforcers of what they perceived as natural justice. In the second place, the discussion will focus on women's private and domestic lives. The main themes here will cover marriage and sexuality, which exploration will range over aspects like illegitimacy, wife-beating, adultery and infanticide. The overwhelming disadvantaged position of women within matters pertaining to sexuality and private relations will be emphasised. E-Thesis Swansea, Wales European history, Women&apos;s studies, Sociology 31 12 2003 2003-12-31 COLLEGE NANME History COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Doctoral Ph.D 2024-11-20T15:53:24.4606110 2018-08-02T16:24:29.7433976 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - History Wilma R Thomas NULL 1 0042585-02082018162506.pdf 10805343.pdf 2018-08-02T16:25:06.0600000 Output 13410698 application/pdf E-Thesis true 2018-08-02T00:00:00.0000000 Copyright: The Author. true eng
title Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870.
spellingShingle Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870.
Wilma R Thomas
title_short Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870.
title_full Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870.
title_fullStr Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870.
title_full_unstemmed Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870.
title_sort Women in the rural society of south-west Wales, c.1780-1870.
author_id_str_mv 13364c0be929d2307da04ad01167f981
author_id_fullname_str_mv 13364c0be929d2307da04ad01167f981_***_Wilma R Thomas
author Wilma R Thomas
author2 Wilma R Thomas
format E-Thesis
publishDate 2003
institution Swansea University
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - History{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - History
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description This thesis has sought to fill a gap in Welsh social history in its focusing on women's role and status in rural society. It is claimed, moreover, that the period covered allows us to capture the position of women within the traditional rural economy before the huge changes setting in during the final decades of the nineteenth century, not least the movement of women out of agriculture, and, of many, out of the countryside altogether, worked for the young in particular a profound change in their circumstances. The approach is an overarching one which deliberately seeks to explain the subject from as wide a perspective as possible. As such, it may be open to criticism that insufficient focus is given to certain areas as women's migration, spinsterhood, old age and to those few privileged females occupying the middling and upper ranks in society. The defence I make in adopting this comprehensive treatment is that it the more easily allows us to perceive the total world inhabited by women and to appreciate their predicament within the larger society. The thesis falls naturally into two sections, namely, first, women's participation in the rural workforce and their material circumstances, and, second, their public responsibilities and recreational pursuits and their private lives. The three chapters in section one cover female employment, women and the domestic economy, and coping with poverty. It will be demonstrated how precarious life was for small farmers' and cottagers' families and the vital role which women played in their continuing survival; of significance here was the fact that young girls were expected to enter farm service and domestic service in order to support themselves. Section two will examine their life outside the sphere of work. This will, firstly, explore their recreation and leisure activities and seek to understand their system of values and beliefs. The discussion will then turn to examining women's public role within the community, and here particular attention will be drawn to their importance as providers of nurture and care and as upholders of the community's morality and enforcers of what they perceived as natural justice. In the second place, the discussion will focus on women's private and domestic lives. The main themes here will cover marriage and sexuality, which exploration will range over aspects like illegitimacy, wife-beating, adultery and infanticide. The overwhelming disadvantaged position of women within matters pertaining to sexuality and private relations will be emphasised.
published_date 2003-12-31T13:30:44Z
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score 11.048453

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