Female Households in Helsinki before Wwi, Co-Operation and Survival

Beatrice Moring, University of Helsinki

The aim of this study is to approach the household that cannot be fitted into the “normal” male headed nuclear category. By focusing on female headed households less well known patterns and strategies can be uncovered. One of the central questions will be the composition of the household group. What can be gleaned about the presence of family members and their potential contributions to the household economy? Were there collaborative or support systems including the extended family? Did women set up strategies involving friends or work colleagues to deal with the problem of lower female earnings? Can we say anything about the nature of lodging for the female household economy?

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 179. Kinship, Family, and Ideational Change in Historical Context