The Colonial Family and the Freedom Bound Document - Essay Example

The colonial family Main points in the Freedom Bound document From the document, it is clear that the relationship between women and men was not based on material or wealth of the man. The author asserts that even though girls were aware of the benefits of money, they did not choose their husbands based on the money possessed by the man1. The choice of a man was based on his manly features while the choice of a wife was based on her beauty. For instance, the authors’ states that her father chose her mother because her mother was beautiful and accomplished, clever as a host and in all departments of home making2. On the other hand, the author asserts that the reason her father won the heart of her mother was probably due to his handsomeness. The author describes her father as having been irresistible with his slim straight, equestrian fame, blue eyes, dark hair and sharp classical profile, his exuberant and witty though unbarbed humour, and his boundless generosity It is also clear from the document that women were religious in nature and upheld religious morals. For, instance the authors assert that a colonial woman attends church regularly but is entirely free from superstition, though not always from intolerance3. However, it seems that religious leadership was not the concern of women in colonial families since we are told that girls did not adore priesthood4. Moreover, it is apparent that women did not concern themselves with politics in colonial families. This is illustrated by the author’s assertion that women did not care about politics except in Victoria where girls supported their fathers’ political alienation without being rational. It is also apparent that women were not concerned with art and literature. This is illustrated by the author’s comment that art and literature was dead among women. The author further argues that the only concern of women was reading a few novels. Women in historic colonial families loved music. This is illustrated women professed and felt a strong leaning toward music. In addition, the author points out that a true historical colonial woman new how to play piano and had one as exemplified by the author’s mother. It is also apparent that women learned their values from other women and married people. The author further points out that, women rarely communicated and conversed with unmarried men. It is also clear from the article that marriage was a valued institution in these families. The author argues that marriage was a woman’s Rubicon that once crossed if it does not altogether debar from the pleasures of maiden and bachelorhood, at least makes it necessary for married folk to shift themselves. Moreover, the author asserts that wedding was one of the most valued occasions among girls and that those girls who married three years earlier than the normal 23 years age were proud of this. Women were responsible individuals in a family. From the article, it is clear that women were expected to devote themselves to their household, children, and husband once married. A woman was expected to spend the rest of her life once married serving her children and make them happy recognizing that in the antipodes ‘juniores priores’ is the adopted motto. Teenage girls were also expected to provide comfort in the homes as their mothers and grandmothers5. Mothers were known to be good planners especially in habits such as bedding and rising, meals, weekend routines. Mothers also played the role of comfort provision to family members6. For instance, the author reiterates that the presence of a woman in cases where men or children were sick seemed to comfort them (men and children) and she was competent as a trained midwife or nurse. Grandmothers played a role of bringing together extended families. As such, they were more loved than mothers7. In spite poverty that wrecked some families: grandmothers converted homes into hospitable, comfort, refinement and joyous places. Grandmothers are described as being industrious, comforters, and good managers. They were involved in planning for future. This is illustrated by the description of grandmothers as having hayshed and other storehouses that were always well stocked for winter. There was no fair play between men and women when the masculine and feminine issue arose that were at the root of the trouble8. The role of fathers is rarely mentioned in the article and this seems to indicate that fathers rarely participate in domestic matters and even provision of for the family seems to be left to women. Although the author argues that the transition from childhood to adulthood in men was as early as nine years, their contribution to family wellbeing is not elaborated. For instance, the author asserts that although her uncle was aged nine he had to be working manager, bullock driver, or cattleman. How the document reflects gendered assumptions, values or ideas From the article, it is clear that children were only likely to be born in a marriage institution. This is because unmarried women rarely interacted with unmarried men and the interaction with married men was only about information and not sexual relations. This implies that women during this period were assumed to have been appropriate values. From the article, it emerges that women are a minority group that were like beast of burden of men. It seems like women were left to take care of the family while men went out to accrue wealth for their own selfish interests. Women were left to tend firms and children with no or little support from men. Women were more concerned about the physical health, personality development, and psychological wellbeing of their children than men9. This is why they were involved in instilling in their children values that were expected out of them10. They were also expected to provide comfort to family members. It seems that farming and weaving were roles played by women. The colonial families regarded children as ‘adults in-training’. This is illustrated by the fact that the author indicates that her uncles were considered adults at an age of nine. This implies that colonial families recognized that their children should not be segregated because of their age11. As such, parents intended that their children be able to speak, read, reason and contribute to their family economic well being as soon as possible. This is illustrated when the author asserts that although her uncle was aged nine he had to be working manager, bullock driver or cattleman. In colonial families, religious cultures exerted a profound influence on child rearing. This could be the reason as to why girls were expected to attend church regularly as pointed out in the article. This might have been aimed at providing and instilling moral values in these young people12. There is gender segregation of roles in religion from the author’s illustration. Women never adored priesthood implying that women were not expected to become priests. How the document relate to debates in gendered history The article is related gendered history of the role of women in religion. Historically, the push to allow women to preach and teach is a recent development of the last three decades from the rise of feminist movement. From the document, it is clear that women were not allowed to preach. This is illustrated by the fact that the author asserts that women never adored priesthood. This indicates that preaching was not allowed for women. Gendered history asserts that gender roles are potentially plastic. This implies that gender roles are not innate but are rather socially constructed through discourse. The document tends to agree with this view. From the fact that girls are constructed to dislike and like certain roles such as priesthood is an indication that gender roles are socially constructed13. Today there are many female preachers indicating that during colonial period the society constructed women to hate preaching and leave it to men. Moreover, the fact that girls were taught to provide comfort to other members of the society while boys were required to be independent contributors to issues affecting the family indicate that colonial families constructed gender roles among their children. The recent feminist movement has fought to have women participate actively in politics and leadership. In colonial families, politics was reserved for men and women were not allowed to hold political affiliation. The document contributes to gendered roles of women and men in politics14. From the article, girls were expected to hold similar political affiliation to that of their fathers and not to engage actively in politics. On the other hand, men were actively involved in politics. This shows that politics was a gendered issue in colonial families and as such, the document contributes to the gendered history15. Summary This paper has discussed the Freedom Bound document. The paper began with identification of main points highlighted in the document. Several issues have been identified in the document. One of the issues is that girls in colonial families were non-materialistic. Moreover, it is clear that girls in colonial families were religious. Moreover, the document asserts that politics was the reserve of men and attracted little or no interest to women. It is also indicated that women were not interested with art and literature. The document also points out that women loved music. The document further indicates that transmission of values from older persons in the colonial families was via communication. In addition, women were expected to provide comfort to other family members in and to act as planner. The document further indicates that the transition from boyhood to adulthood took place at an earlier age (9 years) in colonial families. This paper also discussed the gendered assumptions, values and ideas that emerged from the Freedom Bound document. Some of the issues that were discussed include marriage and family, roles of men and women in a family setting, transition to adulthood, and religion and gender roles. The paper also discussed how the Freedom Bound document relates to debates in gendered history. Some of historical issues discussed include the role of women in preaching, the plasticity of gender roles and participation of women in politics. References Marian Quartly, Susan Hanson, and Patricia Grimshaw. Freedom Bound 1: Documents on Women in colonial Australia. Allen & Unwin. David Goodman. Goldseeking: Victoria and California in the 1850s (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1994), pp. 149-159 Christina Twomey. Deserted and destitute: motherhood, wife desertion and colonial welfare (Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2002) pp. 131-135 Grimshaw, P., & Fahey, C. ‘Family and community in nineteenth century castlemaine’, in Grimshaw, P., McConville, C., & McEwen, E. (eds), Families in colonial Australia (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1985) pp. 83-100 Teresa Meade, & Merry Wiesner-Hanks. A Companion to Gender History (Sydney: John Wiley & Sons, 2008) Joy Damousi. Gender and war: Australians at war in the twentieth century (Canberra: CUP Archive, 1995) Read More