The Household and the Making of History A Subversive View of the Western Past [Hardcover]

This book discusses the development of marriage and household systems in Western Europe.This book argues that a unique late marriage pattern explains the continuing puzzle of why western Europe was the site of changes that gave birth to the modern world. Contrary to previously-held views, it contends that the roots of modern developments themselves are located in history more than a millennium earlier, when the peasants in northwestern Europe began to marry their daughters almost as late as their sons. This provides a more coherent account for items long held up as peculiar Western achievements, including industrial revolution and mass democratic political movements.This book argues that a unique late marriage pattern explains the continuing puzzle of why western Europe was the site of changes that gave birth to the modern world. Contrary to previously-held views, it contends that the roots of modern developments themselves are located in history more than a millennium earlier, when the peasants in northwestern Europe began to marry their daughters almost as late as their sons. This provides a more coherent account for items long held up as peculiar Western achievements, including industrial revolution and mass democratic political movements.Contrary to previously-held views, this book argues that a unique late marriage pattern explains the continuing puzzle of why Western Europe was the site of changes that gave birth to the modern world. It contends that the roots of modern developments are located in history more than a millennium earlier, when the peasants in northwestern Europe began to marry their daughters almost as late as their sons. This phenomenon affords a more understandable account of items long considered as peculiar Western achievements, including the industrial revolution and mass democratic political movements.1. How Northwestern Europe was strange: marriage, household, and history; 2. Marrying early and marrying late: divergent and parallel livelã”