Domination, subordination and struggle: middle-class marriage in early twentieth-century Wolverhampton, England.
The aim of the article is to modify our understanding of the history of middle-class marriage. It draws upon the detailed examination of one Wolverhampton couple's marriage to explore relationships between husbands and wives-and between ex-husbands and ex-wives-in early twentieth-century provincial England. It argues that patriarchal and companionate marriages co-existed alongside one another; that even in patriarchal marriages wives were prepared to seek legal redress for their grievances; and that even in insular and unfashionable regions of the country such as the Black Country the courts, both civil and criminal, policed masculinity and femininity in their assessment of where fault lay.
Benson
John
J
University of Wolverhampton, UK.
D004243:Divorce / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D004739:England / Q000208:ethnology; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology; D005195:Family Relations / Q000208:ethnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D049673:History, 20th Century; D033222:Judicial Role / Q000266:history; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D012922:Social Change / Q000266:history; D012923:Social Class / Q000266:history; D012930:Social Dominance; D018454:Spouses / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence