Hello, and thank you for joining me today.

I'm Mrs. Butterworth, and I will be guiding you through the lesson.

Now, today's lesson is called Exploring societal views of women.

And for this, we are going to be delving into the past and looking at how women were viewed, how they were expected to behave, kind of stereotypical constructions of women.

So are you ready to get started? Let's go.

So by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to identify and explain how dominant viewpoints and ideas are presented in a non-fiction text.

But before we delve into the lesson, let's look at some keywords that are going to help with our understanding.

These words are expectations, dominant, conform, societal, and stereotype.

So what do these mean? So expectations is all about what people believe should happen or the way things should be.

So you might have expectations of how your day is going to go, or you might have an expectation of how someone or something is going to be presented.

We also get this word dominant.

Now the word dominant for today's lesson, we're going to be thinking about dominant viewpoints or dominant attitudes.

And what this means is the most widely accepted or prevailing idea or concept.

So the dominant attitude towards women was, and that's what we're gonna find out today.

And conform, so if you conform, you behave or think in a way that is socially acceptable.

So you do all of the things that society expects you to do, you are conforming.

Then we get the word societal.

So societal relates to anything in society.

So beliefs, customs, and behaviours.

So you'll hear throughout this lesson, we talk about societal expectations or societal viewpoints.

And this is kind of, it's quite a general term to describe the whole of society, if you like.

And then stereotype.

Now a stereotype is a simplified belief, view, or representation of a group of people.

So throughout this lesson, we're gonna start to think about how women are expected to behave in stereotypical ways, or how views are women are of, or how views of women are constructed in a stereotypical way.

So lots of words there.

Keep an eye out for them as we go through the lesson.

Okay, so the outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to start by considering dominant attitudes and perspectives.

So thinking about what it was like in the 18th and 19th century, focusing on women.

And then we're going to explore those attitudes by looking at some non-fiction texts.

So let's get back into the past and consider those dominant attitudes and perspectives.

So to start, I actually just want us to think about what is non-fiction text and what we can learn from reading non-fiction text, 'cause I have to tell you something, I absolutely love non-fiction texts.

I think they can tell us so much about the past, about the present.

There are so many different subjects that non-fiction covers, and I love that it comes in so many different forms and purposes.

There is just so much to delve into.

So I want you to think now and I'd like you to discuss what types of text could be considered non-fiction and what can we learn from reading non-fiction texts.

So pause a video so you've got time to discuss your answers or you perhaps just want to sit quietly and think to yourself, off you go.

Okay, thank you.

Some of you said you actually prefer non-fiction text, so that's really great.

So let's just delve in to what the answers to these questions.

So Sam says that non-fiction can give us an insight into historical attitudes and perspectives.

Absolutely.

And also modern day attitudes and perspectives.

And Sam's given some really good examples here.

So speeches, letters, biographies, and articles.

So very often, non-fiction is defined as being anything that's based on kind of real events or real people.

And I love this answer, "Non-fiction texts demonstrate how language can be adapted to suit different audiences, purposes, and forms." And this is so true because we could be looking at a speech, but the language would need to be adapted depending on what that speech needs to do.

Likewise, with a letter, it all depends on who that letter is being written to.

And we can really see how language can be used in so many different ways.

And also how powerful language is at creating meaning and putting messages forward.

And although non-fiction is based on real life events, a writer's use of language can present the truth or facts in different ways.

They can even be biassed.

And I think this is such an important thing to consider is yes, non-fiction quite rightly, as Lucas has said here, is based on real life events, but that doesn't mean that the language isn't going to be interesting because it could be from one person's perspective.

So the truth could be distorted a little bit or it could be biassed.

So from one person's perspective.

So non-fiction can give us so much to consider.

So Jun has made this comment, "If non-fiction texts are based on true events, that must mean they are written to inform and just use facts, figures, and simple language." So thinking about what we've just said about non-fiction, how would you answer Jun? Pause a video so you've got time to discuss this question or think quietly to yourself.

Off you go.

Okay, fantastic.

So let's just share some of those answers.

So yes, non-fiction texts have different forms and purposes.

So Jun here said, "Oh, it's just written to inform, it's just information." But actually, there are so many different forms and purposes, as we have just said.

So everything from speeches, letters, articles, biographies, there is such a long list.

And likewise, it's not just about writing to inform.

We can persuade, we can explain, we can even tell non-fiction stories, and writers will adapt their use of language to suit these.

So for example, if you are writing a biography about someone, you wouldn't want to just list loads of facts.

You want it to be interesting.

So you would use language to tell that story.

And non-fiction texts also have readers and audiences, and therefore, need to use language to engage them.

And again, we can start to unpick this even further by thinking about the specific audiences and how language has been adapted to suit them.

So for example, a letter may have been written with one specific person in mind.

So how has the language been adapted for that? And again, think about this idea of the reader and the audience.

Can you imagine a persuasive speech being delivered as a list of statistics? So there is no way.

So Jun said it's just facts, figures, and simple language.

There is no way a persuasive speech would be persuasive if it was just a list of statistics.

And like I said a moment ago, we've got the example here of a biography, a biography of a famous actor being written as a list of facts wouldn't particularly be a bestseller, would it? True or false time.

Non-fiction texts do not use literary devices like metaphors or similes, true or false? Well done to everyone that got false.

Now it's time to justify your answer by picking A or B.

Okay, ready for the answer? It is B, non-fiction writers have to consider their readers or audiences.

Therefore, the writing needs to be engaging and interesting.

So you'll notice that the non-fiction text that you look at will still use literary devices like metaphors or similes.

So there is a bit of a myth that non-fiction writing can be boring or not interesting, but it is just as creative as fiction, I promise.

So I now want to think about the 18th and 19th century and what Britain was like for women then.

We have a lovely picture here of a woman in the 19th century, and I would like you to draw on any knowledge that you have, so from either other texts or other experiences.

And I want us to consider what was the dominant societal view of women and how they should behave and live in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain.

I'd also like you to think about has this changed and are there still the same expectations? So are women viewed or expected to behave in the same way nowadays as they were in the 18th and 19th centuries? So pause the video so you've got plenty of time to discuss those questions, and I can't wait to hear what you come up with.

Off you go.

Wow, that was really impressive.

Some of you have got some great knowledge on this subject, so that's really fantastic and thank you for sharing.

So let's just look at this further.

So the 18th and 19th century for women.

So the dominant expectation was that women would stay at home and take care of the family.

So there was this idea that this is what women did.

The concept of a career or further education wasn't really something that was expected of women.

That isn't to say that they didn't do it, it just wasn't the norm.

And likewise, any education was basic and aimed at domestic skills.

So academic subjects tended to be for men or young men.

So the idea that everyone went to school wasn't the case in 18th and 19th century.

Getting married was seen as the most important goal.

So particularly for women, in order to get on in life and to conform to societal expect, societal expectations, marriage was incredibly important.

But you'll also know, some of you, that this was kind of the same for men too.

There was this expectation that you would get married in society.

There was this kind of idea that women should be obedient, quiet, and polite, and women had fewer rights than men and were controlled by them in legal matters.

And I think this goes hand in hand with how women were expected to behave because women were much more reliant on men, the expectations that they would behave in a polite, quiet, and obedient way, it's kind of linked to that idea as well.

Now today, we know that both women and men have access to the same education.

So it is actually expected that all people in society go to school and have access to education.

Women are now not expected to get married, same with men.

And there isn't that societal expectation that everyone just gets married and that you have to get married.

Women are now more free to express themselves in the way they present themselves.

So this isn't just in terms of behaviour, but also think about fashion as well.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was so important that you presented yourself in a particular way.

Although perhaps it's worth investigating whether that is that different today.

And, obviously, nowadays, women can now vote and be financially independent and are involved in legal matters.

There is a lot of differences between the expectations of women today and lives of women today compared to the 18th and 19th century.

However, as I say, it is worth investigating whether some of those things still exist in today's society.

And it is also to important to acknowledge that not all of society would adapt their behaviour in order to conform to dominant societal expectations.

So sometimes we can read something about history and be like, "Well, that means that all women behave like this." But just because the expectation was there, it doesn't mean that everyone chose to conform to those expectations, a bit like nowadays.

Okay, I now want us to think about marriage and the dominant view of marriage in the 18th and 19th centuries.

So what was the view of marriage in these centuries? Why did people get married and has this changed? So pause a video so you've got time to discuss your answers to this, and I look forward to sharing our ideas in a moment.

Off you go.

Okay, great.

Thank you, everyone.

I really enjoyed hearing how some of you weren't particularly sure or didn't have any kind of concrete knowledge.

So you were kind of making some intelligence speculations, which is such a great thing to do because we have so much knowledge of things that being able to speculate, drawing on that knowledge is a really good thing to do.

So well done, everyone, even if you weren't certain you were having a go, which is great.

So let's just share some ideas.

So Izzy has says that for women, marriage was essential for financial stability and status, and this is a really key point.

So women, the idea of having a career or business opportunities just wasn't really an option for women in the 18th and 19th century.

So for them, their stability, their status was really, marriage was really the only way.

So marriage, therefore, was kind of seen as more like a business transaction.

And likewise, this idea of status.

So upper class families or more wealthy families would want to make sure that their daughters and their sons were getting married to equally high status families.

So a lot of this is to do with status as well.

So marriage was indeed like a business transaction.

So who would benefit from this union was talked about a lot.

Marriage was presented as less to do with love and more about conforming to societal expectations.

And women who weren't married were considered problematic.

And this is quite interesting actually, is that, yeah, the idea that a woman, particularly an older woman who has never been married, was viewed as a little bit strange, like that there must be something wrong that they hadn't got married.

So it's interesting that the societal expectations kind of created these images of women.

And I think this is a really good point as well from Sofia, that that doesn't mean that people didn't marry for love.

So likewise, today the dominant viewpoint is that marriage is about love and romance.

However, some people would still consider marriage as linked to stability and financial benefit.

So yes, perhaps today, we see marriage as more to do with love and romance, but we can't say that everyone just gets married for that reason.

And likewise, in the 18th and 19th century, yes, marriage was seen as more as a business transaction or something that had to be done.

But equally, people still did marry for love.

True or false.

In the 18th and 19th century, women would get married to conform to societal expectations.

Is that true or false? Okay.

And the answer is true.

Well done to everyone that said true.

Now pick A or B to complete this statement.

Are we feeling confident? So the answer is B.

However, this does not mean that people never married for love.

And I think this idea is a really important one because we don't want to generalise and say that everybody, and say that nobody married for love in the 18th and 19th centuries 'cause that's a massive generalisation.

So it's important to consider the idea of dominant viewpoints and the idea of conforming to these societal expectations.

Okay, so the first practise task, I would like you please to complete the sentences to write a summary of the societal viewpoints of women and marriage in the 18th and 19th centuries.

So all of the sentences are the same.

They begin with in the 18th and 19th centuries when we were expected to marry.

This is the bit that's different.

So because we're expected to marry, but we're expected to marry, so.

Okay, pause the video.

So you've got plenty of time to get this task finished, and we will share our answers in a moment.

Off you go.

Okay, excellent work, everyone.

Let's keep that going.

So I'm going to share with you a completed summary.

So we're gonna look through this.

You may have something different, which is absolutely fine, it may even be better than this example, but use this as an opportunity to check through your own work or potentially even add to it if any of these, if any of these appeal to you.

Okay, here we go.

So in the 18th and 19th centuries, women were expected to marry because due to their lack of financial independence, it ensured their economic stability.

In the 18th and 19th century, women were expected to marry, but not all women would conform to this societal expectation.

Although problematic, some women would still choose to marry.

And that's a really good point.

You know, not all women would devoid of agency or choice.

There was still that element for some in these centuries.

So in the 18th and 19th centuries, women were expected to marry so that they could fulfil the societal expectations of raising a family.

And something else to check is have you included some of the key words? So things like expected, conform, societal expectations.

See if you can add some of those into your own answers.

So well done, everyone.

We are in the second part of our lesson already.

Let's keep this fantastic work up.

So now we're gonna think about those dominant attitudes and viewpoints with reference to a non-fiction text.

So let's get on with that part.

So as we discussed in the first part of the lesson, we know that marriage was considered very important in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In order to conform to societal expectations, men and women would need to find a suitable partner.

Now we may think things like dating sites and dating apps and reality TV shows about love are a modern concept, but in the 18th and 19th century, people would also find other ways to find a partner.

So they would place adverts in local publications to advertise for a suitable person.

So people would literally advertise for a partner, for a wife, or for a husband.

So what are your expectations of this type of text? What type of language would a person use to appeal to their target audience? And how might they convey the dominant attitudes of the time? So if we think these are kind of 18th and 19th century texts, adverts, looking for a wife or a husband, so what do we think that language is gonna be like? How do we think they're going to appeal to their audience? And thinking about that in terms of the time it was written as well.

So here we have our first advert.

So let's read it through together.

So we've got this word matrimonial.

So the heading here clearly states that the purpose is to do with matrimony or getting married.

So let's read it.

"Seeking wife for gentlemen, industrious and ambitious, age 37.

Maiden should have good teeth, soft lips, sweet breath, and healthy complexion, neat in her person and presentation.

A good understanding without being a wit, but cheerful and lively in conversation, polite and delicate of speech, her temper humane and tender." Okay, so I'd like you to discuss now what words reveal the expectations of how women should look and behave.

Pause the video so you can read the advert again and discuss that question.

Off you go.

Okay, thank you, everyone, from your suggestions.

It's a funny text, isn't it? When we think about how it describes the ideal woman as these kind of things, it's really quite humorous, isn't it? And these words really reveal the societal expectations of women, and they also conform to stereotypical ideas of femininity.

You know, this idea that someone is neat, they're cheerful, they're delicate, all construct this idea of stereotypical femininity.

So it's this idea that all women should be gentle, happy, and quiet.

There is also such an emphasis on looks and appearances.

And I like the phrase as well where it says, "a good understanding without being a wit." So they want some intelligence, but not so much that the woman's going to crack some jokes.

And I think that's quite a funny thing to express in an advert.

And now I'd like you to think about what does this advert reveal about societal attitudes towards marriage.

Does it conform to or challenge societal expectations? So again, pause video so you've got plenty of time to discuss this or just think quietly to yourself.

Off you go.

Okay, great.

Let's just discuss some of those ideas.

So it's interesting, isn't it, that the form of a text is an advert, is an advertisement.

And if we think about where we would usually see an advert, it perhaps links the ideas of things being bought or sold.

So this really links to this idea that marriage was almost viewed like a business transaction.

Like it's funny, isn't it, putting this advertisement out with a list of wants.

It's almost like a transactional thing.

And I think also the list of attributes is devoid of any emotion and links to the idea that marriage is transactional.

You know, this idea that the maiden should have good teeth, soft lip, sweet breath, it's almost like it's not talking about a person at all, just a kind of list of things that this person wants.

And it really conforms to the dominant viewpoint that marriage was a societal requirement and not linked to love or romance.

Yes, it's very formal, isn't it? Very matter of fact.

And I think this reflects the attitudes not just towards marriage but also towards women too.

And it's a really interesting text for that.

It's almost quite humorous actually when you think about how women are being presented in this text, how the advertiser is speaking to prospective wives.

It really is a great text.

Okay, so let's look at this.

True or false.

The description, polite and delicate of speech, her temper humane and tender, presents a stereotypical representation of femininity.

Is that true or false? Absolutely, that's true.

Definitely a stereotype happening there that all women are polite and delicate and tender.

Now justify your answer by picking A or B.

Great, well done to everyone that picked A.

It reveals the societal expectation that women should be gentle, polite, and quiet.

So now let's look at another advertisement.

I'll read it through together and then we'll look at the discussion.

We'll read it through together and then we'll look at the discussion question.

"So a widow and business owner, 36, would like to correspond with gentlemen, have some property, excellent housekeeper and cook.

Willing to go anywhere.

All applicants will receive a reply, no triflers." Okay, so I want you to discuss now, who do you think has written this advert? Does the use of language conform to or challenge societal expectations? So pause the video so you've got time to read the advertisement again and consider your answers to those questions.

Off you go.

Okay, brilliant.

Lots of you really interested to find out who this person might be, but, unfortunately, we'll never know the answer to that.

But we do know that this is written by a woman, okay? Because they're looking to correspond with a gentleman.

And it's interesting that it's a widow as well.

But what's interests me about this advert is the writer uses quite short and direct sentences, which creates an assertive tone, which perhaps doesn't conform to the stereotypes of femininity in the other advertisement.

So this person is very direct, very assertive.

This is what I want, this is what I'm offering.

What do you say? The writer is very direct and has financial independence.

So this the advertiser is saying that she has property, she's got a housekeeper, a cook.

She's even willing to travel, but it is worth considering that this is probably due to her previous marriage.

So she is a widow.

So it's difficult to know, isn't it, that she does say that she's a business owner, which does challenge those kind of stereotypes of women from the 18th and 19th century, but we can't help but wonder where that business, where that came from.

So generally speaking, this does challenge the stereotypical idea of women in the 18th century, but it's also worth acknowledging some of those other things as well, like the fact that she is a widow.

But it's a great advertisement, isn't it? I really like that, the phrase at the end, no triflers.

And what this is saying is she doesn't want people to waste her time.

Okay, so over to you.

We have two advertisements here.

So the first thing we're gonna need to do is read them.

So should we read them together first? Let's do that.

So advert 1, "Young woman reared in luxury, having lost everything and earned her living the past eight years, is tired of teaching and wishes a home: would like to meet a well-to-do businessman who would appreciate refinement and affection in a wife." Okay, advert 2, "Gentleman with a very good estate seeks a young gentle woman that has a fortune of 3,000 pounds.

Neat appearance, polite, and well-mannered." Okay, so you may want to read those again.

And then I'd like you to answer the following questions on each of those advertisements.

The first is, which words reveal the societal expectations and attitudes towards women and marriage? And does the advertisement conform to, or challenge, societal expectations? Pause the video so you've got plenty of time to complete this task.

You're doing so well, keep up the good work, and off you go.

Excellent.

Some really interesting insights coming out there in terms of language use and in terms of what that language represents.

So I have an example here of a completed task based on advert 2.

So this is an opportunity just to look at your own work, check what you've got.

You may want to add some ideas to the work you already have.

So these words, good estate, 3,000 pounds, neat appearance, polite, and well-mannered, these words I picked out because they reveal a stereotypical view of women and femininity.

They also show that the emphasis was on money and property, revealing the attitude that marriage is linked to financial status.

So you can see this almost business-like transaction happening there.

This gentleman has a good estate, he wants someone of a similar status, with similar wealth to marry.

So it's again, there's these stereotypical views of femininity alongside this element of transaction and business-like approach to marriage.

And the advert does conform to societal expectations.

It is the man who is proposing the marriage with a view to ensuring financial stability.

And the writer also uses language to describe a woman who conforms the societal expectations of behaviour and appearance.

It's very specific.

You want someone that's polite and well-mannered, as a woman should be, or a woman is expected to be in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Well, we have reached the end of the lesson.

Well done, everyone.

I hope you've enjoyed delving into non-fiction as much as I have.

And how fantastic are those marriage advertisements? They're like little nuggets of insight into the past, and I always find them really fascinating to look at in terms of how women are presented, and also attitudes towards marriage.

I think it's a really fantastic insight.

Okay, so we now know that non-fiction encompasses a wide range of texts and can use literary devices to engage a reader or audience.

Societal attitudes shift and change.

In the 18th and 19th century, it was a societal expectation that people would get married.

Ideas of femininity were based on stereotypes of gentleness and politeness.

Non-fiction texts can reveal a lot about societal attitudes, as we have seen today.

And texts can conform to or challenge dominant viewpoints.

So excellent work, everyone.

I cannot wait to do this all again soon.

And I will see you for another lesson in the future.

Goodbye.