Wives And Mothers Schoolmistresses And Scullery Maids

Download or read book Wives and Mothers, School Mistresses and Scullery Maids written by Elizabeth Jane Errington and published by McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. This book was released on 1995-09-11 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Errington explores evidence of a distinctive women's culture and shows that the work women did constituted a common experience shared by Upper Canadian women. Most of them not only experienced the uncertainties of marriage and the potential dangers of childbirth but also took part in making sure that the needs of their families were met. How women actually fulfilled their numerous responsibilities differed, however. Age, location, marital status, class, and society's changing expectations of women all had a direct impact on what was expected of them, what they did, and how they did it. Considering "women's work" within the social and historical context, Errington shows that the complexity of colonial society cannot be understood unless the roles and work of women in Upper Canada are taken into account.