Women,Family,and the Law,1750-1942

Abstract

The period under examination witnessed the process of constitution and stabi lization of the nation-state and the first stages in the development of modern social legislation. This period was characterized by intense legislative activity on the part of the state in the areas of family relations and the status of women both within and outside of the family. Although the nuclear family structure was strengthened from the legal point of view, the authority of males/ husbands over women was increased. The priority accorded to women's familial role was supported not only by the regulations contained in the civil and criminal codes concerning social conjugal relations and the practice of sexuality, but also by the laws governing access to labor, labor relations, and hours. The gradual extension of state intervention to areas concerning relations and behavior in civil society and the extension of regulatory measures concerning "women's place in the family" appear to be closely linked and interdependent.