Living in Spain

What role did women play in the pre-industrial European economy? Was it brought about by biology, culture, social institutions or individual choices? And what were its consequences - for women, for men and for society at large? Women were key to the changes in the European economy between 1600 and 1800 that paved the way for industrialization. But we still know little about this female shadow economy - and nothing quantitative or systematic. This book tackles these questions in a new way. It uses a micro-level database and rich qualitative sources to illuminate women's contribution to a particular pre-industrial economy: the German state of Wurttemberg, which was in many ways typical of early modern Europe. Markets expanded here between 1600 and 1800, opening opportunities outside the household for both women and men. But they were circumscribed by strong social networks - local communities and rural guilds with state support. Modern political scientists have praised social networks for generating social capital - shared norms and collective sanctions that benefit network insiders, and sometimes the whole society.