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Questions and Answers
The Victorian era in British history started approximately in 1800.
The Victorian era in British history started approximately in 1800.
False
The Victorian period was characterized by a equal society.
The Victorian period was characterized by a equal society.
False
Britain was a weak nation with a poor culture during the Victorian period.
Britain was a weak nation with a poor culture during the Victorian period.
False
The Victorian era was marked by a complete absence of discussion about sex.
The Victorian era was marked by a complete absence of discussion about sex.
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In Victorian society, men and women were considered to be equal.
In Victorian society, men and women were considered to be equal.
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The Victorian society had a gender-neutral approach to sex and relationships.
The Victorian society had a gender-neutral approach to sex and relationships.
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The working class made up around 50% of the population.
The working class made up around 50% of the population.
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The middle class got its income from wages.
The middle class got its income from wages.
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Men were expected to run households and raise families.
Men were expected to run households and raise families.
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The middle class made up around 15% of the population at the beginning of the 19th century.
The middle class made up around 15% of the population at the beginning of the 19th century.
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Study Notes
Victorian Era
- The Victorian era in British history spans from approximately 1820 to 1914, roughly corresponding to Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901).
- The period is characterized by a class-based society, growing number of people able to vote, a growing state and economy, and Britain's status as the most powerful empire in the world.
Society and Culture
- Britain was a powerful nation with a rich culture, stable government, growing state, and expanding franchise during the Victorian period.
- The country controlled a large empire and was wealthy due to industrialization and imperial holdings, despite three-fourths of its population being working-class.
Victorian Stereotype
- The term "Victorian" connotes a prudish refusal to admit the existence of sex, hypocritically combined with constant discussions of sex.
- Some educated Victorians wrote about sex, including pornography, medical treatises, and psychological studies.
- Respectable middle-class women were proud of how little they knew about their own bodies and childbirth.
Sexual Double Standard
- Victorians lived with a sexual double standard where men wanted and needed sex, and women were free of sexual desire and submitted to sex only to please their husbands.
- This standard did not mesh with the reality of prostitution, venereal disease, women with sexual desires, and men and women with same-sex desires.
Social Hierarchy
- Victorian society was organized hierarchically, with gender and class as the main organizing principles of identity and status.
- Race, religion, region, and occupation were also important aspects of identity and status.
Gender and Class
- Victorian gender ideology was premised on the "doctrine of separate spheres," stating that men and women were different and meant for different things.
- Men were considered physically strong, while women were weak; men were independent, while women were dependent.
- Men belonged in the public sphere, while women belonged in the private sphere.
Working and Middle Class
- The working class (70-80% of the population) got its income from wages, with family incomes usually under £100 per annum.
- The middle class (growing from 15 to over 25% of the population during the 19th century) got its income from salaries and profit, with incomes ranging from £100 to £1,000 per annum.
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