When I Grow Up to Be a Man: Masculinity and the Education of French Aristocratic Boys During the Early Modern Period
Location
CSU 253/254
Start Date
22-4-2008 8:30 AM
End Date
22-4-2008 10:30 AM
Student's Major
History
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Christopher Corley
Mentor's Department
History
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
Gender roles dictated acceptable behavior during the early modem period (1450-1750). Within sixteenth and seventeenth-century French aristocratic society, scholars have shown that masculinity was directly tied to power and status, and that masculinity was learned through aristocratic schooling. I contend that while a traditional educational curriculum was an important avenue for learning masculinity, everyday life proved to be just as valuable in learning gender roles. My research shows that elite French boys learned gender through personal interaction and observation of older men, and through modeling and imitation of them. The boys' clothing and toys were especially important in this regard. My research focused on diaries, portraits, and period toys to illustrate how masculine ideals were passed down from one generation to the next. One primary source of particular consequence was the diary of Jean Heroard, physician to Louis XIII. This diary unlocked the childhood of the future king and provided valuable insight on his everyday activities, including feedings, playtime, and disciplinary actions. I juxtaposed the diary with a collaboration of six visual representations and many period toys. These sources provide a window into the everyday life of aristocratic children and highlight the underemphasized role of the aristocratic father in modeling masculinity to his male children.
When I Grow Up to Be a Man: Masculinity and the Education of French Aristocratic Boys During the Early Modern Period
CSU 253/254
Gender roles dictated acceptable behavior during the early modem period (1450-1750). Within sixteenth and seventeenth-century French aristocratic society, scholars have shown that masculinity was directly tied to power and status, and that masculinity was learned through aristocratic schooling. I contend that while a traditional educational curriculum was an important avenue for learning masculinity, everyday life proved to be just as valuable in learning gender roles. My research shows that elite French boys learned gender through personal interaction and observation of older men, and through modeling and imitation of them. The boys' clothing and toys were especially important in this regard. My research focused on diaries, portraits, and period toys to illustrate how masculine ideals were passed down from one generation to the next. One primary source of particular consequence was the diary of Jean Heroard, physician to Louis XIII. This diary unlocked the childhood of the future king and provided valuable insight on his everyday activities, including feedings, playtime, and disciplinary actions. I juxtaposed the diary with a collaboration of six visual representations and many period toys. These sources provide a window into the everyday life of aristocratic children and highlight the underemphasized role of the aristocratic father in modeling masculinity to his male children.
Recommended Citation
Waller, Amy. "When I Grow Up to Be a Man: Masculinity and the Education of French Aristocratic Boys During the Early Modern Period." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 22, 2008.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2008/oral-session-11/7
