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The Impact of the Woman’s Sphere Ideology in the 19th Century Northern United States

The woman’s sphere ideology denoted that the only appropriate place for a reputable

woman was in the household. The work of a respectable woman was to provide comfort and care

to her children and husband. People of the 19th century in the Northern United States used this

ideology to separate gender roles. This ideology explained the integral characteristic of women.

According to these traits, women were incapable of working in the public sphere. The

philosophy classified women as morally superior but physically inferior to men. Religion

reinforced the woman’s sphere ideology, riding on the belief that the dominance of women had

best suited the domestic sphere. However, this discussion will show that the domestic philosophy

had an ambivalent effect on women of the 19th century in the Northern United States. The

ideology pioneered the emergence of women’s rights while simultaneously it fostered a moral

and spiritual obsession for most women.

Expectations for Mothers in the 19th Century Northern United States

The 19th Century Northern United States expected mothers to embrace domesticity.

Domesticity outline a series of ideas that segregate the family home as the perfect domain for

mothers. Mothers were the center of moral and spiritual goodness for the family. The ideology

developed this locus from the belief that the female gender was innately intellectually and

physically weaker than their male counterparts were. Men and most women perceived mothers as

less capable in the public sphere. Therefore, the 19th century expected mothers to need constant

protection. Most women were obsessed with morality and religion, principally because it gave

them an exceptional place in society. The Widowed State even describes Sarah Connell Ayer as a

pious Congregationalist, affiliated to a missionary society and a maternal society (Woloch, 159).

Even though the superiority was demeaning, tied to weakness within the public domain,

and restrained their sexuality, the women’s sphere rose mothers up in terms of moral and

religious grandeur. Besides, the ideology tasked women with constraining men’s sexuality. The

ideology envisioned the wife as the barricade against immorality. It also envisaged the wife as a

facility that endorsed husbands to follow economic ventures unperturbed, evident from Willard's

warning to Almira about the possible disasters waiting to happen in marriage (Woloch, 150).

Therefore, the nuclear family became the primary establishment for individual socialization and

identification.

The Impact of the Women’s Sphere Ideology in the 19th Century in the Northern United

States

With the inception of the industrial revolution and increased urbanization in the 19th

century, economic production moved from the farm, small shops, and artisan workshops

centered in the homestead to the factory system. Even though the domestic ideology dictated that

women should live devoted, reserved, and retired lives, the reality was different for most women.

The ideology was relatively ineffective to women of color and lower-class women. Women

began working outside the homestead as domestic personnel. Some found work as factory

operatives in industries like the textile sector. The domestic ideology was merely a dream for the

women working in factories. However, the upper classes linked it to consumption and leisure

(Buhle, Murphy, and Gerhard, 160).

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1 Name Tutor Course Date The Impact of the Woman’s Sphere Ideology in the 19th Century Northern United States The woman’s sphere ideology denoted that the only appropriate place for a reputable woman was in the household. The work of a respectable woman was to provide comfort and care to her children and husband. People of the 19th century in the Northern United States used this ideology to separate gender roles. This ideology explained the integral characteristic of women. According to these traits, women were incapable of working in the public sphere. The philosophy classified women as morally superior but physically inferior to men. Religion reinforced the woman’s sphere ideology, riding on the belief that the dominance of women had best suited the domestic sphere. However, this discussion will show that the domestic philosophy had an ambivalent effect on women of the 19th century in the Northern United States. The ideology pioneered the emergence of women’s rights while simultaneously it fostered a moral and spiritual obsession for most women. Expectations for Mothers in the 19th Century Northern United States The 19th Century Northern United States expected mothers to ...
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