Publication
Title
Introduction : unmarried and unknown : urban men and women in the Low Countries since the Early Modern Period
Author
Abstract
This essay introduces a special issue on The Lure of the City that examines the attraction of towns to unmarried men and women in the Low Countries during the early modern period and the nineteenth century. The issue has the relation between singles and cities as its main focus. Singles were present in disproportionately large numbers in urban areas, but the question is why? This essay sets out the historiographical framework for the contributions in the issue, discusses the sources and methodologies used, and provides a brief overview of the evolution of singleness in the Low Countries. The contributions all demonstrate the relevance of a comparative approach. It is revealed that towns and cities not only attracted but also created singles, that they offered different opportunities for different groups of unmarried people and that they affected men and women differently. Finally, it appears that not every town and city was attractive to men and women without a spouse.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of urban history. - Beverly Hills, Calif., 1974, currens
Publication
Beverly Hills, Calif. : 2016
ISSN
0096-1442 [print]
1552-6771 [online]
DOI
10.1177/0096144215610770
Volume/pages
42 :1 (2016) , p. 3-20
ISI
000366597800001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 15.01.2016
Last edited 09.10.2023
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