To dwell for a little in the realm which only women inhabited is to add a dimension to our understanding of the complex interrelationships between the diverse cultures of early modern England. While the concepts of élite and popular cultures, and the relationships between the two, have engaged the interest of historians, little attention has been paid to the spaces in which women interacted, the words they exchanged, their traditions of communal work and leisure, and the friendships and passions which they shared.
Women's culture was closely connected to the forces of life and death, to sexuality, and to the communal life of society. In order to survive in difficult circumstances, women had to develop co-operative behaviour, and work with as well as alongside other women. Early modern women were creative in their friendships, loves, and strategies for survival. Although many of their concerns were ignored by the dominant culture of their time, women could choose to inhabit a female culture of rich and complex meaning.
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Women in Early Modern England, 1550-1720.
Contributors: Sara Mendelson - Author, Patricia Crawford - Author.
Publisher: Clarendon Press.
Place of publication: Oxford.
Publication year: 1998.
Page number: 255.
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