Culture of Domesticity

The Culture of Domesticity was a 19th-century social ideology that idealized women's roles in the home as wives and mothers. It emphasized virtues such as piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. This perspective suggested that women should focus on homemaking, child-rearing, and providing moral support to their families, while men were seen as breadwinners and public figures. The movement reinforced women's limited opportunities outside the home, promoting the belief that their true fulfillment lay in domestic life. Ultimately, it shaped societal expectations and gender roles that continued to influence views of women for generations.