When you write about "women" who were able to go against the rules, you describe women from the higher classes. Even while a NW European society is (kind of) equal regarding genders, it is still divided in classes.
I just read Tove Ditlevson’s part memoir book, about growing up in working class Copenhagen. The narrative there is still the same: find a nice guy to marry. It feels like Scandinavian education and value system in the 1900s onwards started to make a real difference, not so much the history.
This rings true as an explanation of gender equality, especially from the 19th century where coed education started to take hold. Not just for the chattering classes either, at least not in Denmark.
I was recently reading an informal memoir by my great-uncle, whose parents were smallholder farmers. They met in the 1880s at Vallekilde Højskole, which must have been co-ed by then. Can’t think of anything similar elsewhere. Maybe in religious revival movements, but the “højskole” movement was secular.
Alice, I keep trying to find a way to upgrade my subscription to paid. However, the option button that usually appears for other blogs does not appear with this one, nor does it appear in my settings when I search up my subscription status that way. I am not sure why.
The sad truth is that for many women marriage is still the best option, also in the Developed Countries. It often depends on the class you are born in, whether you can make it successfully by yourself. Although "class" is almost equally important for males in determining what they can achieve.
Thank you for mentioning Tove Ditlevsen, a writer unknown to me (till now!). I am looking forward to reading her books. From the short description I found, she was of the same generation as my mother. Who was clever, creative, courageous. She also had to start working at 14, not given a chance for more education. All resources were spent on her younger brother. This was normal in those days and for a long time afterwards.
Thank you for responding to my answer. I am also going to read what you wrote/write. (If only a day had 48 hours.)
Wow. Great article and fascinating!
A remarkable synthesis! So many relevant factors so clearly explained. Beautifully done — and quite convincing.
Please do not respond to this! Scam-spam!
Great stuff! We need this disseminated as widely now as ever!
Very interesting and thought provoking, although I’d recommend you use the word “sex”, rather than “gender”. Otherwise we get situations like this:
https://www.feministcurrent.com/2022/07/22/christina-ellingsen-is-facing-prison-time-for-saying-that-men-cant-be-women/
When you write about "women" who were able to go against the rules, you describe women from the higher classes. Even while a NW European society is (kind of) equal regarding genders, it is still divided in classes.
I just read Tove Ditlevson’s part memoir book, about growing up in working class Copenhagen. The narrative there is still the same: find a nice guy to marry. It feels like Scandinavian education and value system in the 1900s onwards started to make a real difference, not so much the history.
Girls were/are not allowed education because they will marry. Girls marry because they were/are not allowed education.
This rings true as an explanation of gender equality, especially from the 19th century where coed education started to take hold. Not just for the chattering classes either, at least not in Denmark.
I was recently reading an informal memoir by my great-uncle, whose parents were smallholder farmers. They met in the 1880s at Vallekilde Højskole, which must have been co-ed by then. Can’t think of anything similar elsewhere. Maybe in religious revival movements, but the “højskole” movement was secular.
Looking forward to Part 2!
Alice, I keep trying to find a way to upgrade my subscription to paid. However, the option button that usually appears for other blogs does not appear with this one, nor does it appear in my settings when I search up my subscription status that way. I am not sure why.
Answer to Nithya -
The sad truth is that for many women marriage is still the best option, also in the Developed Countries. It often depends on the class you are born in, whether you can make it successfully by yourself. Although "class" is almost equally important for males in determining what they can achieve.
Thank you for mentioning Tove Ditlevsen, a writer unknown to me (till now!). I am looking forward to reading her books. From the short description I found, she was of the same generation as my mother. Who was clever, creative, courageous. She also had to start working at 14, not given a chance for more education. All resources were spent on her younger brother. This was normal in those days and for a long time afterwards.
Thank you for responding to my answer. I am also going to read what you wrote/write. (If only a day had 48 hours.)
Have you read Graeber/Wengrow's The Dawn of Everything? they date the emergence of patriarchy to about 5000 years ago, not 300,000.