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The culture of domesticity (often shortened to "cult of domesticity" ) or cult of true womanhood was a prevailing value system among the upper and middle classes during the nineteenth century in the United States and Great Britain. This value system emphasized new ideas of femininity, the woman's role within the home and the dynamics of work and family. "True women" were supposed to possess four cardinal virtues: piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness. The women and men who most actively promoted these standards were generally white, Protestant, and lived in New England and the Northeastern United States.〔Lindley, Susan Hill (1996). ("The Ideal American Woman" ). In ''You have stept out of your place: a history of women and religion in America''. Louisville, Kentucky.: Westminster John Knox Press, p. 56. ISBN 978-0-664-22081-5.〕 The cult of domesticity revolved around the women being the center of the family; they were considered "The light of the home". Although all women were supposed to emulate this ideal of femininity, black, working class, and immigrant women were often excluded from the definition of "true women" because of social prejudice.〔Patton, Venetria K. (2000). ("The Cult of True Womanhood and its Revisions" ), In ''Women in Chains: The Legacy of Slavery in Black Women's Fiction''. Albany: State University of New York Press, pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-0-7914-4343-9.〕〔Yee, Shirley J. (1992). ("Black Women and the Cult of True Womanhood" ), In ''Black Women Abolitionists: A Study in Activism, 1828–1860''. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, p. 41. ISBN 978-0-87049-735-3.〕〔Tyson, Lois (2001). (''Learning for a Diverse World: Using Critical Theory to Read and Write about Literature'' ), New York: Routledge, pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-0-8153-3773-7.〕〔O'Brien, Jodi A.; Newman, David M. (2010). (''Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life'' ). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of Sage Publications, p. 294. ISBN 978-1-4129-7942-9.〕 ==Virtues== Part of the separate spheres ideology, the cult of domesticity identified the home as women's "proper sphere". Women were supposed to inhabit the private sphere, running the household and production of food (including servants), rearing the children, and taking care of the husband. According to Welter (1966), "true women" were to hold and practice the four cardinal virtues: #Piety – Religion was valued because—unlike intellectual pursuits—it did not take a woman away from her "proper sphere," the home, and because it controlled women's longings. #Purity – Virginity, a woman's greatest treasure, must not be lost until her marriage night, and married women had to remain committed only to their husbands. #Submission – True women were required to be as submissive and obedient "as little children" because men were regarded as women's superiors "by God's appointment". #Domesticity – A woman's proper place was in the home and her role as a wife was to create a refuge for her husband and children. Cooking, needlework, making beds, and tending flowers were considered naturally feminine activities, whereas reading anything other than religious biographies was discouraged. Physically, "true women" were described as delicate, soft and weak. The characteristics of "true womanhood" were described in sermons and religious texts as well as women's magazines.〔Brannon, Linda (2005). ''Gender: Psychological Perspectives''. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-0-205-40457-5.〕 In the United States, ''Peterson's Magazine'' and ''Godey's Lady's Book'' were the most widely circulated women's magazines〔 and were popular among both women and men.〔Matthews, Glenna (1987). ''"Just a Housewife": The Rise and Fall of Domesticity in America''. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 6, 42. ISBN 978-0-19-503859-0.〕 Magazines which promoted the values of the Cult of Domesticity fared better financially than those competing magazines which offered a more progressive view in terms of women's roles.〔 With a circulation of 150,000 by 1860,〔Fackler, Mark; Lippy, Charles H. (1995). ''Popular Religious Magazines of the United States''. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, p. 241. ISBN 978-0-313-28533-2.〕 ''Godey's'' reflected and supported the ideals of the Cult of True Womanhood.〔 The magazine's paintings and pictures illustrated the four virtues, often showing women with children or behind husbands. It also equated womanhood with motherhood and being a wife, declaring that the "perfection of womanhood (...) is the wife and mother".〔Green, Harvey; Perry, Mary-Ellen (1983). (''The Light of the Home: An Intimate View of the Lives of Women in Victorian America'' ). New York: Pantheon Books, p. 180. ISBN 978-0-394-52746-8.〕〔Wayne, Tiffany K. (2007). (''Women's roles in nineteenth-century America'' ). Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, p. 1, ISBN 978-0-313-33547-1.〕 The magazine presented motherhood as a woman's natural and most satisfying role, and encouraged women to find their fulfillment and their contributions to society strictly within the home.〔Mitchell, Sarah (2009). ("A Wonderful Duty: A Study of Motherhood on ''Godey's'' Magazine" ). In: Sachsman, David B.; Rushing, S. Kittrell; Morris, Roy (eds). ''Seeking a Voice: Images of Race and Gender in the 19th Century Press''. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press, pp. 171–178. ISBN 978-1-55753-505-4.〕 Reflecting the ideal of True Womanhood, ''Godey's'' considered mothers as crucial in preserving the memory of the American Revolution and in securing its legacy by raising the next generation of citizens. Prescriptive literature advised women on how to transform their homes into domestic sanctuaries for their husbands and children. Fashion was also stressed because a woman had to stay up to date in order to please her husband. Instructions for seamstresses were often included. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「cult of domesticity」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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