SOC 3371 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Helen Lynd, Normative Social Influence, Married People
12 Nov 2020
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Family life in preindustrial western nations was guided more by law and custom than by affection and emotional stimulation: parents, especially fathers, played a greater role in spouse selection. Modest standard of living made the family"s subsistence a higher priority than personal development. Marriage with emphasis on male authority, duty, and conformity to social norms. In the early 20th century, sexual fulfillment was central to a happy marriage. Robert and helen lynd conducted an experiment in the 1920s: compared with the 1890s, young adults were more likely to view romantic love as the only valid basis for marriage. Marriage with emphasis on affection, friendship, and sexual gratification. Single-earner and breadwinner homemaker marriages: spouses were supposed to be each other"s companions, friends and lovers, husband"s authority was lessened, more women were educated. Companionate marriage reached its peak at midcentury: couples found meaning in successful performance of their social roles, husbands were workers, and wives created a home.
