A Millennium of Family Change: Feudalism to Capitalism in Northwestern Europe

How do changes in family form relate to changes in society as a whole? In a work which combines theoretical rigour with historical scope, Wally Seccombe provides a powerful study of the changing structure of families from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Responding to feminist critiques of 'sex-blind' historical materialism, Seccombe argues that family forms must be seen to be at the heart of modes of production. He takes issue with the mainstream consensus in family history which argues that capitalism did not fundamentally alter the structure of the nuclear family, and makes a controversial intervention in the long-standing debate over European marriage patterns and their relation to industrialization. Drawing on an astonishing range of studies in family history, historical demography and economic history, A Millennium of Family Change provides an integrated overview of the long transition from feudalism to capitalism, illuminating the far-reaching changes in familial relations from peasant subsistence to the making of the modern working class.

Author: Wally Seccombe
Publisher: Verso
Published: 10/17/1995
Pages: 354
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.19lbs
Size: 9.17h x 6.10w x 1.07d
ISBN13: 9781859840528
ISBN10: 1859840523
BISAC Categories:
- Family & Relationships | General
- Business & Economics | Economic Conditions
- History | General

About the Author
Wally Seccombe teaches sociology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.