Transitions within the French Family: Working-Class Women's Roles in the Late-Nineteenth Century

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the change in familial roles occupied by working-class French women during the late nineteenth century. These changes occurred against the shifting political framework of France during this period, as the state transformed from the Second Empire to the Third Republic. An extensive examination of the modifications working-class women’s lives underwent through the aspects of: motherhood, legislation, and employment illustrate the shifts in their role within the family structure. As such, this analysis offers a distinct focus on the social and political histories present during this transition.