A Study On Women Consumption Of England In The Seventeenth And Eighteenth Centuries

The 17th-18 th century is an important period for England to transform from a traditional agricultural society to a modern industrial society,and it is also a critical period for the formation and development of British consumer society.During this period,all members of society could enjoy the fruits of economic and social development.As an important social group,women's consumption behavior had aroused more extensive social attention.Whether it was women's own consumption or agent family consumption,the increase of women's consumption level was the result of a variety of factors.At the same time,women's consumption reacted on the society and had a profound impact on the traditional society and even women themselves.This paper focuses on the consumption of British women from the 17 th century to the 18 th century.By analyzing the consumption situation of British women in the period of social transformation,this paper explores the relationship between women and the development of British society.In modern times,women went out to earn income,and the wage level of male owners increased,which greatly enhanced women's purchasing power.The change of social popular consumption concept enhanced women's consumption desire.In addition,the expansion of the consumer market provided material guarantee for women's consumption.In this context,women not only consumed household products,but also bought some fashionable and novel products in the market.From the content of female consumption,women not only participated in the material consumption of clothing,cosmetics and jewelry,but also participated in many cultural consumption of leisure and entertainment.From the point of view of the objects of consumer services,women should not only buy all kinds of goods for themselves,but also provided all kinds of daily necessities for their families.Of course,under different economic conditions,women had great differences in consumption.Women in the middle and upper classes had more choices and freedom in the process of consumption.However,no matter which social class,women's consumption was not for themselves.As the agent of the family,women also bore the responsibility of acting for family consumption.While women's consumption showed themselves,it reflected the identity and status of male owners.Economic and social development had greatly improved women's consumption level,on the contrary,the improvement of women's consumption level had a great role in promoting the economic and social development of England.Women's consumption of all kinds of novel and fashionable goods,to a certain extent,had impacted the traditional social order,and also had positive and negative effects on women themselves.Women's participation in various cultural consumption activities enhanced women's group consciousness and encouraged women to strive for more rights and freedom.At the same time,women's consumption behavior also caused the panic of the patriarchal society,and then women were criticized in the process of consumption.In a word,the improvement of British women's consumption level in the17th-18 th century is the inevitable result of British economic and social development,which is in line with the trend of the times.During this period,women's consumption situation was consistent with the rise of fraternal marriage in modern British society.Women had more rights and freedom,and their social status was on the rise.However,it is worth noting that during this period,women's social status did not get rid of the scope of the development of the times,and their weak position did not fundamentally change.Women were still constrained and restricted by men in the process of consumption.The abuse and criticism of women for consumption was an obvious example.Nevertheless,women's courage to fight for their own rights and interests in the process of consumption laid the foundation for women to fight for more rights and interests in the future.