Social Structure

Erin BakerAnn Jacoby

Skylar Kulbacki

Social Classes

• Working Class – physical labor

• Middle Class – performed clean work

• Upper Class – did not have to work

Working Class• Poor living and working conditions

• Did not follow rules of courtship

• Did not participate in social entertainment

• Had very little chance for education

Working Class Conditions

• Working conditions: – Workers included women and children– Long work days– Poor nutrition and health

• Living conditions:• Often over crowded • Poorly ventilated• No sewage or drainage systems

Jobs for the Working Class

• Women did all their own housework then had to go do chores for more privileged women

• Men in this class held jobs for the unskilled

• Children even had to work to help support the family in textile mills and factories

Middle Class• Only men provided the income

• Consisted of bankers, shopkeepers, merchants, engineers, other professionals

Upper Class• Wealth came from inherited land or

investments

• Included people from the church and of nobility

Courtship• Rules varied based upon class

• Courtship advanced by gradations

• Lower classes had opportunities to socialize at church and during holiday season

• Upper class held their own social events throughout the season

Being a Lady• Only women of the upper and middle class

have a coming out– Completed education signified availability for

marriage– A girl’s introduction into social life

• Must follow rules a strict set of rules– Outward appearance– Social behavior

Being a Gentleman• Had to follow rules for introductions

• Duty is always to his lady

• Different rituals for the meeting of acquaintances

• Followed etiquette for dinner parties

Entertainment• Several popular forms of entertainment

vary by socioeconomic class

• All could enjoy the arts except those of the working class– Class distinction was evident in the type of

dancing

• Middle and upper class read and studied society novels

Women’s Entertainment

• Women of higher class joined various social groups

• Limited to specific sports they could play

• Towards the end of the era, women’s sports expanded

Men’s Entertainment• Men joined various social groups and

societies

• Card games and gambling became popular among the males

• Well-bred men would frequent pleasure gardens like the Cremorne Gardens

Reforms• Education reforms

– Moving to provide education for more than just the privileged

• Factory reforms • Working to get children out of the factories and provide better

conditions

• Political reforms • Worked to close the huge gap between the classes