ABSTRACT
In this pre-romantic atmosphere, open allusions to sexual passion remained largely in the shadow of more sentimental emotions; attraction was expressed in terms of longing for intimacy or tenderness. The fact that strong sexual attraction was not unusual in early modern families is attested to not only by authors such as Shakespeare and other poets but also by churchmen beyond suspicion. As economic growth, industrialization and social mobility made European societies more fluid, a significant proportion of women and men chose a reliable partner from their close entourage. The economic dynamics of the eighteenth century, the increase of commerce, the spread of proto-industrial productions and industrialization were slowly modifying the traditional equilibrium between the generations. The chapter aims at comparing some of the suggestions, highlighting the fundamental differences we can observe between different classes, social groups and milieus, without neglecting the manifestations of different sexual cultures.
