Concetti Chiave
- The Victorian Age was marked by significant changes and developments, with England boasting a vast empire, utilizing colonies for resources and labor.
- Social classes were distinctly stratified, with the middle class divided into lower, middle, and upper sub-strata, including shopkeepers, factory owners, doctors, and lawyers.
- The Victorian Compromise highlighted societal contradictions, such as faith versus science and industrialization versus a return to nature, with middle-class morality often being hypocritical.
- Family was central, with fathers working hard, mothers managing the household, and children often forced into labor under harsh conditions.
- The Great Exhibition of 1851 showcased England's industrial achievements and superiority, held in the innovative Crystal Palace in Hyde Park.
The Victorian Age
Social Classes
During this period of time the stratification of the society changed. the middle class had been divided into three sub-strata: lower-middle class( shopkeepers) , mid-middle class ( factory owners ) and upper middle class ( doctors and lawyers ).
The Victorian Compromise
This age was characterized by lots of contradictions, the "victorian compromise".
We can see it in different aspects of life, for example faith and science, industrialization and desire to return to nature, liberalism and horrible conditions of the working class and then in the middle class. In fact the middle class was characterized by a specific morality, but they were also corrupted and they lived a double life. During the day they were perfect men and they followed specific rules of behavior based on hard work, respectability and charity. Instead during the night they had a completely different life.
Family
The family was the most important bond in the victorian society. Families were numerous, fathers tried to preserve the whole family working hard every day. Mothers were subordinated and their unique roles were to procreate and control the house. Children were often exploited and obliged to work in mines or other places in horrible conditions also when it was not necessary. They worked hours without a break and they often became ill or died young.
The Workhouses
Workhouses were special structures controlled by parishes where were sent poor people, old or sick people or children. In these houses people were divided into three different groups: people unable to work because sick or too old; people able to work but unemployed; children. Men and women were divided too, so family were completely separated. the conditions were horrible: people had only a meal a day plus two soups, they had to wear a uniform, they were obliged to work and they lived in unhygienic conditions. people had to stay there since they would have shown that they were able to preserve themselves and their families. This because victorians thought that poverty was a consequence of laziness and the horrible conditions would inspire poor to improve their own conditions.
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a philosophy which attempts to answer the question: "what distinguishes a good or a bad action?" Utilitarians look at the consequences of their actions: an acion is morally right if its consequences lead to happiness, and it is morally wrong if it ends in pain. The aim of every society should be to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In this way, an innocent person should be punished if many people gained from this. The founder of this philosophy was John Stuart Miller. As far as education, utilitarians believe in a mechanical way of learning based on memory.
Education
During the Victorian age there were also reforms in the field of education. elementary education had been re-organized. despite that, education continued to be one of the problems. Poor children couldn't study, rich children studied with private tutors and children form the middle class went to public or private schools. Yet teachers were often incompetent and not prepared and they used corporal punishment to make children maintain discipline.
Great Exhibition
The great exhibition of the works of industry of all nations was the first universal exhibition. it took place in 1851 in the Crystal palace in Hyde park, a prefabricate in glass and iron built by Joseph Paxton. During this exhibition goods from all over the english empire were shown. in this way England could show its superior position in the world as far as industry and progress.
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cuáles fueron las características principales de la era victoriana?
- ¿Cómo se dividía la clase media durante la era victoriana?
- ¿Qué era el "compromiso victoriano" y cómo se manifestaba?
- ¿Cuál era el papel de la familia en la sociedad victoriana?
- ¿Qué propósito tenían las casas de trabajo y cómo eran las condiciones allí?
La era victoriana se caracterizó por cambios, progreso y desarrollos, con un gran imperio que utilizaba colonias para obtener recursos y mano de obra.
La clase media se dividía en tres subestratos: clase media baja (tenderos), clase media media (propietarios de fábricas) y clase media alta (doctores y abogados).
El "compromiso victoriano" se refería a las contradicciones de la época, como la fe y la ciencia, la industrialización y el deseo de volver a la naturaleza, y la moralidad específica de la clase media que ocultaba una vida doble.
La familia era el vínculo más importante, con padres trabajando arduamente para mantenerla, madres subordinadas encargadas de procrear y controlar el hogar, y niños a menudo explotados en condiciones laborales horribles.
Las casas de trabajo albergaban a personas pobres, enfermas o desempleadas en condiciones horribles, con la idea de que la pobreza era consecuencia de la pereza y que estas condiciones inspirarían a mejorar su situación.
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