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Domesticity: The Cult Of True Womanhood

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When we think of the word 'cult,' we might think of mysterious religious rituals and secretive societies. But the 'cult' we discuss in this lesson refers more to cultural beliefs about the way society should be structured. The Cult of Domesticity, also called the Cult of True Womanhood, is actually a set of beliefs about gender roles in 19th-century America. The middle and upper class men and women who ascribed to this set of values believed that since men were busy working, women should focus on cultivating a home that is supportive, warm, and virtuous. We will examine three main aspects of the Cult of Domesticity:
The image of the ideal woman
The woman's proper place in society
Writings that reinforced the Cult of Domesticity

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