Gender, Family and the Social Order by Susan D. Amussen – Article Summary
Overall summary In her 1985 article "Gender, Family and the Social Order", Susan Amussen surveys the social and familial hierarchies of Early Modern England. At that time, she explains to the modern reader, there was no conception of the family as a private unit. Instead, Renaissance theorists frequently drew parallels between the socio-political monarchic and governmental structures and the familial structure of husband, wife, and children. Amussen discusses two influential propagators of this parallel. First, political theorists who were concerned with the social state of affairs discussed the relationship between the king and his subjects in terms of the relationship between husband and wife and children. Just as the obedience of children of their parents is a divine commandment, it was considered the divine right of the king to rule over his subjects. Similarly, the agreement between kings and subjects was compared to the marriage contract, and rebellion of a royal subje...