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Home / The Welsh History Review, Volume 26, Number 4

Drifting into Manhood and Womanhood: Courtship, Marriage and Gender Among Young Adults in South Wales and the North-East of England in the 1930s

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Author: Ward, Stephanie

Source: The Welsh History Review, Volume 26, Number 4, December 2013, pp. 623-648(26)

Publisher: University of Wales Press

This article explores the place of marriage in marking a transition to adulthood in the life cycle of young adults in south Wales and the north- east of England. By comparing two regions that faced high and protracted unemployment in the 1930s, the article seeks to examine the impact of the Depression on patterns of courtship and the decision to marry. How unemployment affected the construction of masculinity by disturbing the established pathway to marriage is considered, and the notion that young adults desired to cling to the freedom of youth is challenged. The article draws upon the rich literature generated by the 'crisis' period of the 1930s and considers gendered patterns of leisure and courtship, the attempts to regulate the behaviour of young adults and representations of the moral foundations of marriage.

Document Type: Research Article

Publication date: 01 December 2013

More about this publication?

  • Published by the University of Wales Press since its inception in 1960, The Welsh History Review / Cylchgrawn Hanes Cymru is the most authoritative journal in its field. This twice-yearly journal is committed to publishing research on Welsh history, from medieval to modern. The internationally-renowned editorial board includes scholars from universities in Wales, the UK, Europe and the United States, whose collective breadth of knowledge contributes to a diverse range of cultural, social, political and economic history.

    Cyhoeddwyd The Welsh History Review / Cylchgrawn Hanes Cymru gan Wasg Prifysgol Cymru ers sefydlu'r cyfnodolyn yn 1960. Hwn yw'r cyfnodolyn mwyaf awdurdodol yn ei faes, a'i brif hanfod yw arddangos amrywiaeth eang o feysydd ymchwil ym maes hanes Cymru, o'r canoloesol hyd at y modern. Ar y bwrdd golygyddol, ceir ysgolheigion o brifysgolion Cymru, y Deyrnas Unedig, Ewrop a'r Unol Daleithiau. Adlewyrchir arbenigeddau'r bwrdd yng nghynnwys y cyfnodolyn, sydd yn ymdrin â hanes diwylliannol, cymdeithasol, gwleidyddol ac economaidd.

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