Family in Europe History Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Family in Europe History - Coursework ExampleIn case a family was already on a high rung in a social ladder, a smart marriage arrangement could be highly advantageous through a thoughtful market strategy. As time passed everyplace the centuries, there was a slow and gradual change towards more freedom of choice and a much greater acceptance of love as a basis for marriage. Parents had every say in the matter in choosing a partner as well as bargaining about the dowry. The general capriciousness was that unless a person could afford to get married they should, otherwise it was not advisable. Though parents took trouble in working out a marriage for their children, the youngsters met their lovers in the fields, barns, at the fairs and even on pilgrimages. Most marriages took place between members of the same religion, nationality and caste.It is rather surprising to note that the word family did not mean blood transaction or related by marriage, but the Latin word famulus referred t o a domestic establishments live in staff. Until the 19th century, Europeans did not do away with the pith of family, but as the idea of kinship took shape, the meaning of family took on a whole new perspective while the old meaning has become obsolete in these modern times. In the past a household was not only the private residence of a family, but likewise a place for the public eye.Historians having worked on demographic data between the 16th and 19th centuries and have put to rest the common notion that pack lived in very large households compared to the micro families of today. After much investigation, they have come to rest on the fact that families were of two kinds small or norm and large families. The small families in Europe had one or two children while the large families had about seven to ten members.However, when comparing the rural and urban households, they found that most of the people in the urban areas preferred to have small families comprising of one or t wo