Drifting into Manhood and Womanhood: Courtship, Marriage and Gender Among Young Adults in South Wales and the North-East of England in the 1930s. (1st December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ward, Stephanie
• Is Part Of: Welsh history review. Volume 26:Number 4(2013)
• Page Start: 623
• Page End: 648
• Publication Date: 2013-12-01
• Subjects: Wales -- History -- Periodicals; Histoire -- Périodiques; Wales; History; Periodicals; 942.9005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-2431

Abstract

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.