ABSTRACT
In the twentieth century it was widely accepted that the family underwent a fundamental transformation in the early modern period. This picture has altered radically and there has been a stress upon continuity in the most important aspects of family life. Nevertheless, the early modern era remains one in which it is still accepted that economic, social and intellectual change did take place, even if it failed to fit the predicted pattern of class creation and modernisation that was once assumed. In the light of these circumstances, it is necessary to understand whether these factors had any impact on the experience of family life in the early modern period and, if so, what exactly that impact was. This final section of this book will attempt to look at the two major areas in which change has been perceived: the realm of ideas and that of economics.
