Social roles for men women and children???

Question

In 17th Century Europe what were the social roles for men women and children? How did each spend their day? HOw different were expectations of each at that time?

Answer 1

Most everyone at that time were farmers. Entire families were probably tending to livestock and fields.  

Answer 2

The answer would depend on factors like socio-economic status.  For the aristocracy, the women were more like fashionable accessories for the men.  Children were to be seen and not heard.

For the artisans and lower forms, women worked to maintain the household and children were expected to do likewise.

Answer 3

Please understand that space is limited here, so its hard to answer your question entirely in this post; I have recommended some websites that contain articles that are pertinent to your interest.

At that particular period of time, the feudal system was nearing its end; it helps to understand how Feudalism works, because understanding from whence they came will help you to live vicariously in their time.

Another example of the culture of the 17th century can be observed by studying the age of the renaissance.  The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence affected literature, philosophy, art, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual enquiry. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art.

Essentially, up to this period in time people were kept busy trying to survive. The constant need to produce and hunt for food was essential to their existence. Women spent most of their time tending to the needs of their men and children by preparing meals, gathering food, weaving cloth, making clothing and quilts, preserving food stores for winter, gathering firewood, etc . . . Men would have been busy in the fields planting, tending, and harvesting crops: hunting and trapping, or preparing for the hunt by observing the habits of game animals: chopping fire wood, maintaining the house and outbuildings (which would probably be constructed of sod and in constant need of care), maintaining tools and tack (if they were lucky enough to own a draw horse or oxen team,) etc . . .

Children of less fortunate families, were not allowed the privilege of going to school, their presence was more of a necessity in maintaining the daily needs of their household. Children, might be at their fathers or mothers side helping them accomplish the chores they normally took care of, they may have acted as shepard’s for any farm animals or livestock in pastoral families, fetching water would have been a constant chore (if they did not have a well,) and taking care of their younger siblings would have been a major responsibility as well.

For the most part, unless they were rich, clothing would have been pretty simple, a lot of religions at the time dictated down to the material your buttons (if you were allowed to have buttons) were made of. Great pains were taken to keep people conscious of the pitfalls of materialism in dress and the décor of a home. It was important to maintain strict morals and values; being humble and free from materialistic desires kept them grounded and in good standing amongst the members of the community.

Later on, technological advances in agriculture and animal husbandry took root, creating a surplus in food. This turn of events allowed the people of that time to pursue other pastimes. The concept is known as the “division-of-labor.”  People soon started specializing in trades and crafts, which created a market system for the goods they produced. Children were able to go to school, and life in general became a little easier. For the most part, I imagine they tried to hang on to their mores . . . but as you can see, the progressiveness of society has spoiled a great deal of us European-Americans who have descended directly from European immigrants. I cannot speak for modern European society, but I imagine, there are people there who lack the humbleness possessed by their forefathers as well.