Social Conduct Literature Criticism
Social conduct literature has served as a mirror reflecting societal values and norms since the Middle Ages, aiming to shape the moral, domestic, and social lives of its readers. Emerging robustly in Great Britain by the 1570s alongside rising literacy and the print trade, these texts initially targeted young women of marriageable age but were also crafted for men, children, and the aristocracy. Predominantly authored by men, these works prescribed behavior on matters such as court etiquette, social interaction, household management, marital choices, and domestic roles. By the late seventeenth century, periodicals began to surface, focusing more on women and crafted often by female authors, as discussed in ‘Fair-sexing it’: An Introduction to Periodical Literature and the Eighteenth-Century Construction of Femininity. These periodicals continued the tradition of promoting virtuous female behavior, yet marked a shift as women became more involved in their production.
The reach and influence of social conduct literature extended beyond its initial bounds, impacting European cultural definitions of gender and desire as noted by Armstrong and Tennenhouse. Its evolution can be seen in modern equivalents, such as women's magazines and dating guides like The Rules, illustrating how societal values and definitions of gender roles have transformed over time. Conduct literature also played a significant role in shaping dramatizations of female behavior in medieval plays, as explored by Kathleen M. Ashley. Overall, social conduct literature remains a crucial lens through which the historical dynamics of gender and societal expectations can be understood.
Contents
- Representative Works
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Criticism: Overviews And General Studies
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Preface to A Father's Legacy to His Daughters, Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, and A Mother's Advice to Her Daughters
(summary)
In the following foreword to an anthology of social conduct books, the author argues that a “liberal” education for women would result in improvements to society.
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The Practical Guidebooks
(summary)
In the essay below, Hull surveys the types and content of social conduct books published in England, primarily in the sixteenth century.
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Courtesy, Conduct and Etiquette: An Overview
(summary)
In the essay that follows, Morgan defines different types of English social conduct books—including those for men, women, and children—in the late eighteenth century.
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Preface to A Father's Legacy to His Daughters, Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, and A Mother's Advice to Her Daughters
(summary)
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Criticism: Prescriptive Ideology In Other Literary Forms
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Medieval Courtesy Literature and Dramatic Mirrors of Female Conduct
(summary)
In the following essay, Ashley explores how social conduct books for non-aristocrats influenced French and English drama in the late Middle Ages.
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The Discourse on Marriage in the Middle Ages
(summary)
In the essay below, Schnell explores how marriage sermons shaped standards of conduct for men and women.
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Medieval Courtesy Literature and Dramatic Mirrors of Female Conduct
(summary)
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Criticism: The Role Of The Press
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‘Fair-sexing it’: An Introduction to Periodical Literature and the Eighteenth-Century Construction of Femininity
(summary)
In the essay below, Shevelow explores how the rise of the periodical aimed at women in early eighteenth-century Great Britain helped define them, by promoting an idealized, middle-class woman. Shevelow also relates this periodical culture to the rise of the novel.
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Ros Ballaster, Margaret Beetham, Elizabeth Frazer, and Sandra Hebron
(essay date 1991)
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Eighteenth-Century Women's Magazines
(summary)
In the following essay, the authors discuss the nature of women-oriented periodicals in the eighteenth century.
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Eighteenth-Century Women's Magazines
(summary)
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‘Fair-sexing it’: An Introduction to Periodical Literature and the Eighteenth-Century Construction of Femininity
(summary)
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Criticism: The Impact Of Conduct Literature
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The Literature of Conduct, the Conduct of Literature, and the Politics of Desire: An Introduction
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Armstrong and Tennenhouse outline the link between the cultural definition of desire and the impact of social conduct books in Europe, especially on the changing definition of gender.
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Nets and Bridles: Early Modern Conduct Books and Sixteenth Century Women's Lyrics
(summary)
In the essay below, Jones explores how sixteenth-century social conduct books defined socially acceptable behavior, primarily for women and their fathers and husbands. She also shows how the focus of conduct books and the image of women shifted over time.
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Conduct
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Jones explores the moral aspects of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century social conduct manuals, many of which focus on women and marriage.
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The Literature of Conduct, the Conduct of Literature, and the Politics of Desire: An Introduction
(summary)
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Conduct Literature And The Perception Of Women
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic examines the construction of female identity in eighteenth-century England, highlighting how conduct books and periodicals reinforced the paradoxical definitions of femininity and sexuality, thus shaping women's roles and societal expectations through ideologies that stressed both emotional responsiveness and controlled propriety.
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Women Writing For Women
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic explores the contrasts and parallels between Mary Wollstonecraft's Thoughts on the Education of Daughters and John Locke's Some Thoughts Concerning Education, highlighting Wollstonecraft's critique of societal norms, her emphasis on moral education, and the challenges she faced due to the limited roles available to women in the 18th century.
- Further Reading