IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : History Of Modern Europe (Mid 18th to 20th Centuries)- FAMILY

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History Of Modern Europe Mid 18th to Mid 20th Centuries

FAMILY

Structure

13.0 Objectives
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Towards Understanding the European Family
13.2.2 Household Structure
13.3 Historical Change
13.3.1 Continuity
13.3.2 Comparing Families Across Time and Space
13.4 Econo~nic Change and Family
13.4.1 . Variables Used to Understand Marriage Patterns
13.4.2 Family and the Industrial Revolution [ 135 Let Us Sum UD
13.6 Key Words
13.7 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

13.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading the unit you should be able to:
understand why an analysis of househoId structure rather than membership is a better way
of understanding the European famiIy,
understand the debate raging in historical scholarship over whether there was a continuity
or not between tlle pre-industrial and the industrial family, and
understand the variables used to test response of the family to the changing social and
economic context.

13.1 INTRODUCTION

Historians have empllasised tlle study of the institutional frameworks that support society, as
it allows for the description and explanation of change in social structures. It was in this
context that various institutions such as the manor, the guild, the legislature, the business firm
and the military come under the historian's scrutiny. However, the fanlily as an institution
came to be studied rigorously by the historians relatively late . Its late recognition as a
subject worthy of historical inquiry is rather surprising as other disciplines such as sociology
and social anthropology have laid great emphasis on the family while studying societies ranging from primitive hunting-gathering societies to modem ones.
k The llistory of the family in past times began to receive more attention since the 1960s with a
number of publications on related themes such as historical demography, illegitimacy. orphange.
childhood, adolescence and tlle problem of ageing. The family is a social institution with an
exceptionally long historical life span. The protean nature of family activities, functions, and
con~position has made both a very interesting as well as difficult subject of study. The variability of tlie family has made it difficult to ascribe any one framework for its analysis across
time and geograpllical space. The very gradual character of change in family structure and
fu~ictions necessitates the use of long-term analysis to discover significant continuities and
changes. 

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