Click here. FAMILIES, WOMEN, AND MEN p.109 An excerpt from Jeremy Black's book "England in the age of Austen" p.109 A clear instance of male dominance, although not about marriage, is when Mr. Parker decides to accept Mr. Heywood 's offer of hospitality, an offer made by Heywood without consulting his wife and daughters. In turn, Parker is described as “consulting his wife in the few words of ‘Well my dear, I believe it will be better for us." Austen's account of female childhood and education builds on chat of Fanny Burney. Alongside the decorous social surface and underpinning and the emphasis on the traditional expectation of marriage is a sense of the need for protection in the face of the hazards of society. That some challenges to happiness are from within families makes these hazards even more problematic. In drawing on Burney, especially her Camilla, in Northanger Abbey, Austen relates to long-standing views, and therefore debates, on women, childhood, experience, and education.** Alongside patriarchalism and discipline, affection and emotion bonded families together. Parents of all social and religious groups loved their children, and most did not treat them as embodiments of original sin, although many evangelicals still did. Human depravity remained a potent idea, as the writings of Hannah More indicated. However, the inculcation of deference, discipline, and piety by authoritarian parents was not incompatible with affection. In bringing up their children, parents saw the need to teach them basic skills and regarded this, correctly, as for the benefit of children as much as parents.

 FAMILIES, WOMEN, AND MEN p.109 

An excerpt from Jeremy Black's book  "England in the age of Austen" p.109

A clear instance of male dominance, although not about marriage, is when Mr. Parker decides to accept Mr. Heywood 's offer of hospitality, an offer made by Heywood without consulting his wife and daughters. In turn, Parker is described as “consulting his wife in the few words of ‘Well my dear, I believe it will be better for us." 

Austen's account of female childhood and education builds on chat of Fanny Burney. Alongside the decorous social surface and underpinning and the emphasis on the traditional expectation of marriage is a sense of the need for protection in the face of the hazards of society.  That some challenges to happiness are from within families makes these hazards even more problematic. In drawing on Burney, especially her Camilla, in Northanger Abbey, Austen relates to long-standing views, and therefore debates, on women, childhood, experience, and education.

Alongside patriarchalism and discipline, affection and emotion bonded families together. Parents of all social and religious groups loved their children, and most did not treat them as embodiments of original sin, although many evangelicals still did. Human depravity remained a potent idea, as the writings of Hannah More indicated. However, the inculcation of deference, discipline, and piety by authoritarian parents was not incompatible with affection. In bringing up their children, parents saw the need to teach them basic skills and regarded this, correctly, as for the benefit of children as much as parents. This was particularly the case when children were to follow the occupations of their parents, a tendency made desirable by the nature of inheritance practices across society, by the shortage of capital, and by the limited employment opportunities faced by most people. Furthermore, the absence of state-provided education placed a burden of responsibility on parents and, failing them, other relatives. The same was also true of health, housing, and, to a degree, social welfare. 

In addition, there was widespread philanthropy, including from public and ecclesiastical bodies. The social elite were 

supposed to set an example, and this process can be seen with.