Structures, relationships and attitudes : coalmining family life in the Black Country during the second half of the nineteenth century
The aim of this Thesis is to describe and to analyse the structure of coalminer families and households in two woricing-class communities at two points in time in the second half of the nineteenth century. The methodology used is essentially that of comparison of coalminer households across time to look for elements of change and continuity, and comparison with the worldng-class generally with whom the coalminers lived to look for similarities and differences. The critical review of the historiography presented in Chapter One shows that a certain mythology surrounds most aspects of coalmining as an occupation. Because of the special nature of coalmining as a job, coalminers developed a set of bchavioural. attitudes which dominated all aspects of their life, including marriage, the establishment of a home, the formation of families, the level of marital fertility, and the degree to which they shared their homes with co-residents. Some of these aspects of the historiography will be challenged in this Thesis. Much of the mythology surrounding coalminers originated from those communities in which they were coterminous with the population and in which they had little contact with the outside world and therefore
Ridgway, John
History
Structures, relationships and attitudes : coalmining family life in the Black Country during the second half of the nineteenth century. The aim of this Thesis is to describe and to analyse the structure of coalminer families and households in two woricing-class communities at two points in time in the second half of the nineteenth century. The methodology used is essentially that of comparison of coalminer households across time to look for elements of change and continuity, and comparison with the worldng-class generally with whom the coalminers lived to look for similarities and differences. The critical review of the historiography presented in Chapter One shows that a certain mythology surrounds most aspects of coalmining as an occupation. Because of the special nature of coalmining as a job, coalminers developed a set of bchavioural. attitudes which dominated all aspects of their life, including marriage, the establishment of a home, the formation of families, the level of marital fertility, and the degree to which they shared their homes with co-residents. Some of these aspects of the historiography will be challenged in this Thesis. Much of the mythology surrounding coalminers originated from those communities in which they were coterminous with the population and in which they had little contact with the outside world and therefore
structures relationship attitude coalmining family_life black country aim_describe analyse structure family households class community point_time use essentially comparison household across_time look element change_continuity comparison class generally live look similarity_difference critical_review historiography present show certain mythology surround aspects coalmining occupation special nature coalmining job develop set attitude dominate aspect_life include marriage establishment home formation family level marital fertility degree share home aspect_historiography challenge thesis much mythology surround originated community coterminous population little contact outside_world therefore