Families in History
How have families changed?
Hunter-Gatherer
Families
• Men were hunters and tool makers –
left for days to capture large animals
• Women were responsible for
gathering fruits, nuts, grains &
herbs, as well as nurturing young
children
Hunter-Gatherer
Families
• Women were critical to family – supplied
2/3 of or more of calories consumed
• Both men and women had high status
within family
• Families were originally loosely formed,
then relationship between one man and
woman became the norm
Agricultural Families
• 11 000 years ago
• Domesticated animals and grew
plants, so families were able to live in
more permanent places
• Due to need for help with labour,
families became larger as people had
more kids to help
Agricultural Families
• Children were considered economic
asset
• Families became highly organized
• Monogomous relationship
• Patriarchial family structure
• (Define the above words on pg. 14)
Pre-Industrial Families
• Early Europeans who migrated to Canada
came from society different form
Canada’s agricultural one
• Population increase meant families outgrew
land
• Families without land moved into cities and
towns – became “tradesmen”
Pre-Industrial Families
• Families consisted of father (head),
mother and children, plus any
domestic servants and apprentices
who were learning a trade from
father
• Families also most often lived with
extended family
Pre-Industrial Families
• Romantic love was not the basis for
marriage; married out of necessity
• Child labour - less than 50% reached
adulthood
• Fewer children than agricultural
families
• Spousal abuse and child abuse
Urban Industrial Families
• Early 19th century
• Shift towards factory production
• Mother = sacred role, nurturer; supported
by husband
• Men = $ earner
• Less need for children to work in factories
• Compulsory education in 1871
Urban Industrial Families
• Child labour outlawed in mide-1880’s
• At this point, notion of childhood as “age
of innocence” born
• For many families, women still had to work
in factories to earn enough money
• By beginning of 20th century, only 5% of
women worked outside home
Urban Industrial Families
• Couples began to have less children
because they could not afford them
Modern Consumer Family
•
•
•
•
•
1940’s
Women’s role – wife and
mother
Father’s role – breadwinner
Adolescence emerged because of
extended schooling
• Birth rate rose post war (1946-1967)
• Average of 4 children per family
Contemporary Canadian
Family
• Significant changes in past 50 years
• 60’s & 70’s – women re-entered
workforce
• Women’s rights
• Divorce more common
• Common-law
• Blended families, dual income families
Clips:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao
gZUDx51vQ
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K
MOwBBT6iA