Society and culture of the Victorian era
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Society and culture of the Victorian era refers to society and culture in the United Kingdom during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The era saw a rapidly growing middle class who became an important cultural influence; to a significant extent replacing the aristocracy as the dominant class in British society. A distinctive middle class lifestyle developed which influenced what was valued by society as a whole. Increased importance was placed on the value of the family and a private home. Women had limited legal rights in most areas of life and were expected to focus on domestic matters relying on men as breadwinners. Whilst parental authority was seen as important, children were given legal protections against abuse and neglect for the first time. The growing middle class and strong evangelical movement placed great emphasis on a respectable and moral code of behaviour. As well as personal improvement, importance was given to social reform. Utilitarianism was another philosophy which saw itself as based on science rather than on morality, but also emphasised social progress. An alliance formed between these two ideological strands.
A growing number of Christians in England and Wales were not Anglicans, and nonconformists pushed for the disestablishment of the Church of England. Legal discrimination against nonconformists and Catholics was reduced. Secularism and doubts about the accuracy of the Old Testament grew among people with higher levels of education. Northern English and Scottish academics tended to be more religiously conservative, whilst agnosticism and even atheism (though its promotion was illegal) gained appeal among academics in the south. Historians refer to a "Victorian Crisis of Faith" as a period when religious views had to readjust to suit new scientific knowledge and criticism of the Bible.
Access to education increased rapidly during the 19th century. State funded schools were established in England and Wales for the first time. Education became compulsory for pre-teenaged children in England, Scotland and Wales. Literacy rates increased rapidly and had become nearly universal by the end of the century. Private education for wealthier children, both boys and more gradually girls, became more formalised over the course of the century. A variety of reading materials grew in popularity during the period. Other popular forms of entertainment included brass bands, circuses, "spectacles" (alleged paranormal activities), amateur nature collecting, gentlemen's clubs for wealthier men and seaside holidays for the middle class. Many sports were introduced or popularised during the Victorian era. They became important to male identity. Popular sports of the period included cricket, cycling, croquet, horse-riding, and many water activities. Opportunities for leisure increased as restrictions were placed on maximum working hours, wages increased and routine annual leave became increasingly common.