The Family in the Western World from the Black Death to the Industrial Age, (Paperback)

Publishers Weekly,Independent scholar and translator Gottlieb has produced a well-researched and readable study of the family in the Western World from 1350-1800. Arranging the book by subject categories that encompass marriage, child rearing and kinship, she overturns popular myths about families from an earlier time. For example, in the past most women did not necessarily marry young, and the majority of non-aristocratic families were not large. Gottlieb points out the speculative nature of any conclusions one might draw about the daily lives of families past--including conclusions about their sexual relationships--and cautions us about the class and patriarchal biases of earlier writers. The author highlights the documented differences and similarities between pre- and post-industrial families and the fact that the current ideology of ``family values'' only emerged after the 19th century. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved,Publishers Weekly,Publishers Weekly,Independent scholar and translator Gottlieb has produced a well-researched and readable study of the family in the Western World from 1350-1800. Arranging the book by subject categories that encompass marriage, child rearing and kinship, she overturns popular myths about families from an earlier time. For example, in the past most women did not necessarily marry young, and the majority of non-aristocratic families were not large. Gottlieb points out the speculative nature of any conclusions one might draw about the daily lives of families past--including conclusions about their sexual relationships--and cautions us about the class and patriarchal biases of earlier writers. The author highlights the documented differences and similarities between pre- and post-industrial families and the fact that the current ideology of ``family values'' only emerged after the 19th century. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved