History 326 Readings Wiki

You've loaded an old revision of the document! If you save it, you will create a new version with this data.

====== Suburban Men and Masculine Domesticity ======

===== Changes in Masculinity =====

In the late nineteenth century, there were two ideals of masculinity. One was a rugged adventurer who had deep disdain for anything that could be considered "feminine." The other was what Margaret Marsh refers to as "masculine domesticity" -- a man who was middle-class, probably suburban, and who actually spent time with his wife and children. Marsh establishes three main criteria for the development of masculine domesticity: marriage as companionship, job security for middle-class men, and the physical space of the suburbs. (Jazper Schmidt)

This reading delves into the shift of masculinity between 1870 and 1915. The model of early masculinity frames men as a detached patriarchal breadwinner, and shifts to identifying manhood through emotional engagement as well as nurturing domestic participation. This shift is solidified through the ideas of figures like Beveridge and Macfadden who believed that the home and family should be a centralized figure in regards to practicing manhood. They also explained how nurture and love should be expressed towards children in these families by fathers. The new model of manhood views men as someone who fosters emotional bonds through active involvement, trips, and activities. Marsh explains how masculinity becoming more domestic doesn't diminish what it means to be a man, nor does it make a father any less masculine than a single, childless man. Marsh conveys that domestic involvement works to redefine masculinity and backs this statement up by explaining how family men still have aggressive outlets like sports to preserve their negative ideals of domestic masculinity. (Reiley Gibson)

===== Suburban Middle Class Masculinity =====

Marsh introduces the suburban father as another model of masculinity who presents mostly in the middle class, and shows more familial involvement and the embrace of domesticity. After the war, women spent more time in public which meant men had to adopt more domestic roles within the family. Men’s wives contributed to this new model because they replaced other men as a primary social companion, causing them to spend more time at home. The companionship of marriage is new and emotionally guided. This relationship contributed to stable employment and salaries as well as the creation of families. Stable salaries came from the influx of corporate jobs which also offered predictable hours which allowed more time for the family and leisure. (Reiley Gibson)

The rise of a suburban middle class was associated with greater inter-gender socialization in leisure. For most of American history, women were confined to the home and to sewing circles, while men were out with gangs of friends or with more organized social clubs. However, as the middle class became more isolated from city centers into suburbs and as the middle class began to embrace more intimate forms of male domesticity, this began to change. By 1903, at least in Philadelphia, mono-gendered, middle-class social clubs began to decline as social clubs that allowed both male and female members (often married) increased in numbers. (Nick Thodal)

In this chapter, Margaret Marsh argues that the image of middle-class urban men in the Progressive Era should not be understood solely as that of a detached corporate professional distant from his family. On the contrary, many middle-class men belonged to a different category, united by the ideology of masculine domesticity. According to Marsh, masculine domesticity was a particular model of behavior that prioritized egalitarian marriages, leisure with family, and active participation in the lives of children. In particular, this form of domesticity led to the transformation of the father figure. In the context of mid-nineteenth-century America, fathers maintained a patriarchal status with a strong emphasis on discipline and obedience from their children. However, the culture of masculine domesticity allowed for new approaches to the father–child dynamic, focusing on friendship, elements of play, and independence. - Nikolai Kotkov

Many of the ideals of masculine domesticity were framed specifically within the suburban context. Cities were seen as a possibly corrupting influence, encouraging men to go out with their male friends instead of spending time in the home. The suburbs, on the other hand, isolated the family from others to their own shared space. The single family home created a refuge for the family where inter-gender and inter-generational activities could be conducted. Marsh points out that architecture itself even changed during these temporal and geographic shifts. Rather than previous gendered  places in the home, such as separate parlors and sitting rooms, common spaces were now intended for use by men and women, promoting family togetherness. Visual decorations often served to distinguish children's spaces, but even this was an indication that women's and children's spaces were no longer considered the same. (Cameron Spivy)

===== Progressive Elements? =====

The idea of masculine domesticity, although progressive, does seem to require somewhat "perfect conditions" like a good, stable marriage, a good and stable income (that allows for more leisurely time to be spent with wives and children) and the appropriate location for these "new" manly qualities to be exercised. For the purpose of the reading, middle class men living in the suburbs with their families.( Téa Aliu)

Women are spending more of their time not in the house (women's clubs and joining the workforce) that men are urged to start helping out more. The space is not equal but responsibilities for men at home are starting to pick up and they're expected to at least pick up after themselves if no one else. To paraphrase: men enter the domestic sphere as women are joining the masculine sphere through work and time spent away or outside their children. ( Tea Aliu)

Companionate marriages- marriage not being a social contract headed by the patriarchy. The idea that men should spend more time with their wives and view them as companions rather than just "the wife". Men taking time to listen to their wives needs and wants as well, if only small requests for home improvements as mentioned on page 118. (Tea Aliu)

However, even some of this increased interest in fathers participating in the raising of children was rooted in the preservation of gender roles. Some saw mothers as too much of a feminine influence over the raising of their sons. Increased paternal involvement was then a way to balance out that feminine influence with an appropriate masculine one. Additionally, Marsh points out that some men may have turned towards the domestic sphere as they saw women claiming spaces in the public sphere. If men were no longer the sole inhabitants of the public sphere, then they would claim power and space in the domestic sphere as well. (Cameron Spivy)

Hegemonic masculinity in this time period shifted from being solely a bread winner who focused on work and economic success and was a stoic, distant figure who didn't get involved in the domestic world of his family, to being a man who had both a successful career and fulfilling family life. Men were no longer fearful of being ridiculed for being feminine if they were involved with their family's domestic happenings. In fact, if a man remained distant from his family, then he would be ridiculed and considered less than a man who was involved. Interestingly, a one of the main reasons men were urged to have a bigger role as parents was due to the fear of their sons not having a masculine influence in their lives. (Katherine Hamilton)

Men thought of a version of masculinity as escaping their monotonous work and the city through adventure in the West with influences from people like Theodore Roosevelt in the early 20th century. But as the 20th century progressed men with influences from books and manuals began to think of masculinity and escaping the city as investing time into a fulfilling family life in the suburbs. This marks the shift from the distant, intimidating patriarch to a softer version of fatherhood in which men acted more as guides and nurturers to their children. This style of fatherhood would only continue to develop. (Katherine Hamilton)

While men's increased involvement in the home developed from women spending more time outside of the home, men were still the sole breadwinners. The separate spheres of men and women in this time were beginning to become less separate as men became more involved in the traditionally female sphere of domesticity. The new increase in participation in domestic affairs by men was seen as a positive change as now they could enjoy the positives of the female sphere as well. However, and while some women did significantly support their families, men retained their role as the sole breadwinner and control over their sphere. In a way, while indeed women were gaining experiences outside of the house and with other people, they lost control over their social roles and men added to the areas under their control while retaining independence of their own sphere, for the most part. (Katherine Hamilton)

Edit summary

Note: By editing this page you agree to license your content under the following license: CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International