O powinnościach względem męża. Miejsce mężczyzny w małżeństwie w świetle XIX-wiecznych poradników dla kobiet
About duties towards husband. Place of a man in a marriage in the light of nineteenth-century guidebooks for women

Author(s): Kinga Raińska
Subject(s): History, 19th Century
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: duties towards husband;place of a man in a marriage;nineteenth-century guidebooks for women
Summary/Abstract: The man’s situation has changed little over the centuries. He did not have to emancipate himself. In the nineteenth century, the Polish traditional model of the patriarchal family was in force, in which the man, as a pater familias, decided on all important matters concerning family members. The dominant position of a man in a marriage was largely sanctioned by tradition, which was also reflected in the guidebook literature for women. The man’s destiny was to become husband and father. His role in society was additionally strengthened by the begetting of offspring, which was emphasized by religion. In the light of Christian faith, fatherhood was a gift and a vocation. The basic duties of the man, mainly, were work aimed at keeping the family. It was he who satisfied all the needs of those closest to him. He made all the important decisions himself. He also represented the family outside. The most important thing for a man was gaining success in life, while the most desirable value for women was marry. Only in this way could the woman gain respect and position in society. Guidebook literature in the nineteenth century also favored these patterns and stood for the integrity of the family and the privileged position of the man. In her pages there were often advice adhering to the traditional values of the family, where marriage was considered the beginning of a new social cell whose primary function was procreation and then raising children. In the nineteenth century, it was widely believed that the destiny of every woman is to be a wife and a mother, therefore personal patterns intended for women primarily took into account those values that made it easier to get and keep a husband.

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