EUROPEAN SOCIAL TRENDS OVERVIEW By Honor Crandell, Kristin John, Ann Marie Kennedy, and Carly Owens 1450-1648 1648-1815 1815-1914 1914-present Social Class Structure: --Key Concept 1.6: The capitalization of urban and agrarian economies redistributed wealth across social groups and regions of Europe. -Not much social mobility; people knew their place, and often had little ambition for change -With the Age of Exploration, trade began to increase, thus creating a class of wealthy merchants -Power of Nobility was checked under new monarchs (centralized power), and new noble classes were created -Most people lived in rural areas on subsistence level farming, and never went far from where they were born -Serfdom began to crumble in many areas, but persisted in E. Euro -Rise of the Middle Class -Strict traditional social structures & punishments for those who didn’t comply (Witchcraft trials, Charrevarre) -The Reformation did not seek to redefine social structure Social Class Structure: -European society continued to be divided into estates (classes) which determined one’s status -There was an increased importance on the gain of wealth -Nobles married into wealthy merchant families (status and wealth) -Nobility still hard on the peasants (taxes, fees, etc) -Key Concept 2.4 The experiences of everyday life were shaped by demographic, environmental, medical, and technological changes. -Peasants went through somewhat better conditions (better diet and improved weather) **Discontent over feudal system evident with Pugachev Revolt in Russia -Towns attracted migrants from the countryside -Cities grew in size and were overwhelmed with the problem of population and crime Social Class Structure: -- Key Concept 3.2: The experiences of everyday life were shaped by industrialization, depending on the level of industrial development in a particular location. -Development of selfconscious economic classes -Proletariat and bourgeoisie -Industrial middle class gained wealth and status from the profits of industry -Increased standard of living for each individual, higher wages -Society became more diverse and less unified Social Class Structure: -Increased standard of living among all classes -Education available to masses -Civil Rights Movement in the United States -Labor unions -Classes were not clear, only distinguished by lifestyles -Social welfare available more widely -Guest workers prominent in the US and Germany Family Life: -Nuclear family (exception in Eastern Europe) -Families were a production unit -Most families worked together on the farm (or shop, etc) Family Life: -Nuclear family (exception of eastern Europe) -Mid-late 20’s was the marrying age for both men and women -In short, couples delayed wedlock until they were Family Life: -Increasingly separate spheres for men and women -Women expected to work in the domestic sphere and be homemakers; Victorian Family Life: - Married at a later age - Families became “twocareer” as women got white-collar jobs - Following WWII, marriage and divorce rate increased significantly -Each family member was expected to contribute -During the Age of Crisis, marriage age went up due to economic instability -Families spent a great deal of time together, sometimes even sleeping in the same bed economically stable -For the most part, families labored together as an economic unit ***Illegitimacy increased between 1750-1850 due to the opportunities provided by the cottage industry Ideal -Smaller families became the standard, longer life expectancies -Younger generation rebelled with more drugs, alcohol, and provocative culture -Ideal middle class family in 1950s and 1960s -Generation gap creates tensions Women/Gender Roles: -Women had few legal rights, often considered second class citizens -Many women needed a dowry to secure a good marriage; the dowry was technically the woman’s property, and gave her some power in the marriage -Women made some gains in education during the Renaissance -A large gap in marriage age led to inequality in marriage in Renaissance Italy -In the Ref., marriage and family life were glorified, but women lost much of their role in religion -As state regulation of morality increased, as a result of the Ref., prostitution was outlawed in many areas -More unmarried women were sent to towns to work and bring money back for their families -Women were the victims of Witchcraft trials due to belief in unmarried women’s licentiousness, and suspicion of healers -Women were largely excluded from scientific societies during the Scientific Revolution -Discoveries during the Scientific Revolution were used to rationalize womens’ lower statuses. Women/Gender Roles: -In agriculture, work was divided based on gender -Young women worked in domestic settings as maids to earn a sufficient dowry -Wet nurses -Women also worked as shopkeepers and assisted their husbands working in towns Women/Gender Roles: --Key Concept 3.2: The experiences of everyday life were shaped by industrialization, depending on the level of industrial development in a particular location. --Key Concept 3.3: The problems of industrialization provoked a range of ideological, governmental, and collective responses. -Suffragettes advocated for more rights for women, mainly the right to vote -Middle class women began to organize and expand their rights Women/Gender Roles: -Key Concept 4.4: Demographic changes, economic growth, total war, disruptions of traditional social patterns, and competing definitions of freedom and justice altered the experiences of everyday life. -Invention of birth control gave them more independence -Women were no longer married at a young age nor did they get pregnant often which allowed them to build their lifestyle and career - Strong reawakening of feminism in 1960s and 1970s - Women began wearing shorter skirts and swearing in public -Worked in factories during the wars -Believed in “reproductive rights” such as birth control and legalized abortion Children: -Children during the Renaissance, mostly boys, were to be educated in a well-rounded way (The Renaissance Man) -In order to avoid unwanted children, infanticide and the use of contraception rose -Children were viewed as adults from a very young age -Extra children the family couldn't feed were sent to cities or towns; if they were lucky they became part of guilds Children: -Expected to contribute to household -In towns, boys were apprenticed to local shops -Foundling homes to care for poor children Key Concept 2.3 The popularization and dissemination of the Scientific Revolution and the application of its methods to political, social, and ethical issues led to an increased, although not unchallenged, emphasis on reason in European culture. -New Enlightenment ideas of childhood innocence Children: -Children viewed as children, given schooling if the family could afford it -Increase in education among middle class Children: - Media had large effect on children -Child labor laws issued -Education became mandatory by 1920 -Recreational activities grew in popularity - Baby Boom children criticized parent’s way of life Leisure Time: -Leisure time was dictated by the season, and what time the sun rose and fell. -During harvest time, families often spent the entire day working -Winter was full of idle time for rural families -Festivals served as entertainment, and a chance to toss off social custom for a short period of time, but reinforced traditional social structure -The upper classes read heavily, but the price of books remained too high for many, even after 1455 -Protestantism frowned upon many of the rowdy Catholic festivals and banned prostitution in many areas. Excessive drinking became punishable at times Leisure Time: -Grand Tour for male aristocrats to experience European culture and arts; also led to much prostitution -Divergence of elite and popular culture Leisure Time: -Difference between leisure time and work time becoming increasingly clear because of the less engaging working environment -Organized sports grew throughout Europe, paralleled military discipline and promoted nationalism Leisure Time: -Increased standards of leisure -Mass cultural entertainment such as the television and radio -Global economy exposed people to new goods and technologies -Increased role of sports, both recreationally and professionally -More interest in fashion -Cinema -Dance halls and clubs, especially during the disco era Population: --Key Concept 1.6: The capitalization of urban and agrarian economies redistributed wealth across social groups and regions of Europe. -Urbanization rose -Rebound from the Black Death -The population rebound led to the Price Revolution; this led to economic hardships -Slowing birth rate due to economic instability -The Thirty Years War led to massive casualties, especially in Germany, and caused a population slump in that area -Malnutrition and illness were widespread, causing high infant mortality rates and low life expectancies Population: --Key Concept 2.4: The experiences of everyday life were shaped by demographic, environmental, medical, and technological changes. -Population increase begins throughout 18th century -This due to many factors including improved diet, illegitimacy, better weather, etc. Population: --Key Concept 3.2: The experiences of everyday life were shaped by industrialization, depending on the level of industrial development in a particular location. -Industrialization and improved public health and medicine allowed the population to go 75%, from 260 to 450 million -Increase was fueled by a decrease in the death rate, not an increase in birth rate -Germany and the US surpassed Britain in industrial production Population: --Key Concept 4.4: Demographic changes, economic growth, total war, disruptions of traditional social patterns, and competing definitions of freedom and justice altered the experiences of everyday life. - More people lived in urban areas for the first time rather than rural -DPs created multiethnic communities - Birth control resulted in decline of birth rate following 1960s - Decline in birth rates during world wars and Great Depression -Baby Boom in 1945 -Decolonization led to change in demographic patterns -Life expectancy increases with new medical advancements Social Time: -For many, life was same as it was during the MA’s -Some attempted religious reform by people like Jan Huss -Christian Humanism pushed for religious reform from the inside -Religions struggled for power after the Reformation, leading to many wars -Baroque Churches brought people into worship and be awed by god/the RCC Social Time: Key Concept 2.4: The experiences of everyday life were shaped by demographic, environmental, medical, and technological changes. Social Time: -Mass politics arose from the Dual Revolution; represented by mass communication, democracy and authoritarianism, and an increase in conflict Social Time: -Sociology became a popular topic and became a subject in universities -Revolts of 1968 -Homosexuality was decriminalized