ABSTRACT
At the beginning of the nineteenth century the family represented a working relationship which was engaged collaboratively in the production of such things as food and clothes. This work took place in the same arena as sexual relations, child bearing and child rearing. Although at that time the patriarchal role of the father was absolute, women’s skills were indispensable and interdependence between the husband and wife, both being economically productive, was critical. As the nineteenth century progressed, market forces dramatically altered the structure of this working relationship. The world of the family and the world of production became separate entities. Production became part of the public sphere and the family became more and more private.
