Changes In Family Life In The Prehistoric Era

Family life has changed due to many factors, such as: survival, economy, environmental factors, structure, education, customs, religion, etc. Studying family evolutions helps us better understand the behaviors of families today. In the Prehistoric era, a family’s main concern was to survive. Families were considered clans, and preservation of the clan’s culture was crucial. Other aspects of child development or education were not important compared to survival. In Greek and Roman times, educating children began. Boys from wealthy families were educated, because these were the expected future leaders of society. Girls grew up learning how to take care of the home, because that was their expected future role. Children were expected to grow up fast, and accept their roles in society based on their status. European Medieval times’ ideas of children were inspired by harsh, literal interpretations of religion. Children were perceived as small adults who were “naturally evil”. …show more content…
Parents would send their young children to work in factories for low wages, just to get by. Children were expected to do adult work, and grow up very fast. Colonial North America was a time were families were generally stable. Children received education, and had a role in helping support their family in whatever business the family was in. The government helped many families by expanding in North America. Families were able to survive, and profit of this land. Although things were better economically, children were still viewed as evil, and harsh treatment continued. American Industrialization brought families a lot of land, and income. Families were able to start businesses, rather than only fend for their family. Public schooling began which gave each family member a specific role. Parents began to understand child development, which lead to more loving