In the early decades of the nineteenth century, the relocation of work from the home to the factory or office radically altered family life. For the growing middle class, the home was no longer a site of economic production but rather a refuge from the competitive business world.
The social shift described in the passage most directly contributed to which of the following cultural developments?
- The rise of the "cult of domesticity" and the concept of separate gender spheresAnswer
- BA widespread return to self-sufficient household agricultural production
- CThe adoption of mercantilist policies to regulate domestic manufacturing
- DThe reliance on indentured servitude to fill factory labor shortages
Answer
The rise of the "cult of domesticity" and the concept of separate gender spheres
The correct answer is correct because the shift of production from homes to factories separated the workplace from the household. For the emerging middle class, this division fostered the "cult of domesticity" and the belief in "separate spheres," which cast the home as a moral, female-dominated refuge from the competitive, male-dominated market economy.
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Key Concept
Market Revolution: Social and Demographic Changes