Role of Women during the period from 1750-1914 in Latin America and Western Europe

by iamanio (student)

Latin America and Western Europe were extremely different regions from 1750 to 1914 in matters of rate of industrialization, literacy rate as well as womens roles. As two diverse regions, people valued different values, however, similarities are likely to find. In Western Europe women in upper class during the specific period of time (1750-1914) were likely to be educated in an all girls school , or by a private teacher. They were expected to be well-mannered and know how to play at least one musical instrument as a symbol of superiority. They were also anticipated to marry into a good family with money, most likely arranged ahead of time by the parents. Upper class

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women were forbidden from work and were strictly protected by their spouse. Middle class women in the same region during the same period were frequently housewives with no probable education. They were often the wives of mill operators and merchants. Depending on the lower or upper level of the middle class, women were able to be work as school mistresses, or not work at all and only take care of the house. As upper class and middle class women had little advantages to their life, lower class women often had none. They were married to poor farmers, with no education and often had to work just as hard as their husbands, maybe even harder as they had a responsibility of taking care of the house and children. In some parts of the Western Europe, lower class women had to work in textile mills or various workhouses parted away from their families, working many, many hours. Double burden was also common at the beginning of 1900’s as women worked to earn money but also had the responsibility for unpaid, domestic labor. In large urban cities, like Dublin, London or Paris, prostitution was the only way to survive for some lower class women. Among women, the unmarried individuals had more job opportunities than married ones. However, in the early 20th century some women were getting involved in womens rights movements, campaigning for the right to vote. The leaders of such protest were mostly upper middle classes, however, working lower class women were also welcome. 18th century until the early 20th century, was a very influential period of time in the matters of colonial aspects as Europeans widely controlled the colonies around the world for quite some while. Latin America, was a colonial society during that period of time and the roles of women differed as well as paralleled. The upper class women in Latin America as well as in Western Europe had more advantages than the middle and lower classes and were able to gain education, however, the male domination was clearly more evident. Women in Latin America had less opportunities that involved their social life and were expected to stay at home most of the time. Unlike in Western Europe, in Latin America the differences between the middle and lower class women weren’t that distinct. Both had to work beside men in agriculture science jobs, and male domination was extremely unjust and due to such dominated colonial society women had no choice but to work, harder even than the Western European low class women. As for, the last years of 19th century and early 20th century, women rights movements and protests were more frequent but with quite less success, compared to the Western European movements.