“MARRYING SOONER IS MORE PROFITABLE AT HOME”: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RUSSIAN AND WESTERN EUROPEAN MODELS OF MARRIAGE IN THE 18TH-19TH CENTURIES
Keywords:
Russian peasants, marriage models, early marriage, rural commune, Western EuropeAbstract
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the model of general and early marriage dominated in Russia, which was very different from the Western European one. This difference was due to four socio-economic reasons. Firstly, the religious and cultural background and the emotional basis of marriage in Western Europe and Russia were different, so the concept of marriage based on the love and personal consent of both parties did not form in Russia. Second, because Russian infant mortality was too high and life expectancy was too low, peasants were more likely to marry early and have children early in order to increase the birth rate. Thirdly, in contrast to the accelerated development of industry, trade and labor markets in Western Europe, the widespread early marriage of Russian peasants was mainly determined by the demand for family labor in traditional agriculture, and the level of urbanization and social mobility was very low, which makes it impossible to destroy traditional rural social structures and the concept of marriage. Fourthly, the marriage of Russian peasants was not based on personal ownership of land, on the contrary, with communal land ownership, marriage brought new lands to the family. Moreover, Russian newlyweds usually did not stand out after marriage, but continued to live with their parents together; did not inherit family land from their parents at marriage, but owned the property of the whole family. Such a family system consolidated patriarchal rights and objectively supported universal early marriage. Although different models and logics of marriage have formed in Russia and Western Europe, it would be unreasonable to divide Europe into eastern and western halves in a straight line.Downloads
Published
2023-04-19
Issue
Section
История России