Another important aspect of this period is the large-scale expansion of British imperial power By 1830,the British empire had, of course, existed for centuries, and had already experienced many boons and setbacks Perhaps the most significant blow to its power occurred in the late 18th century with thesuccessful revolt of its 13 American colonies, an event which would eventually result in the formation of theUnited States as we now know it During the 19th century, the British empire extensively expanded its colonial presence in many parts of Africa, in India, in the middle-east and in other parts of Asia This process has had many long-term effects, including the increased use of the English language outside of Europe and increased trade between Europe and distant regions It also, of course, produced some long-standing animosity in colonized regions Prostitution Moral uproar concerning prostitution was at its peak in the 1850s1860s, mainly because it highlighted a sort of female sexual freedom These women, though still indirectly controlled by men, had economic autonomy In cases such as Long Susan’s brothel in ‘Ripper Street,’ they also had more protection than the average non-married female in Victorian society Prostitution was, however, legal, at this time in Europe, making it an honest profession for a woman who had no other means of supporting herself, not to mention a roof over her head http://www.bbcamerica.com/ripper-street/2013/02/04/vice-in-victorias-england/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era • Providers During Victorian times men across socio-economic lines were strongly expected to provide for their families Conversely, married women were expected not to work outside the home The gender lines, as they regarded work, were strongly drawn Men's work was meant to provide monetarily for the family while a woman's work, if she worked at all, was at home keeping the home • • • Protectors In many ways Victorian gender roles were a matter of give and take A good example is the Victorian attitude that women were the angels of their home, with a high value placed on delicacy and even illness This placed Victorian men in the position of protector The Victorian era was a chivalrous time, when men took their role as family protector very seriously Superior Victorian men had far more rights than their female counterparts Many of the rights denied women, such as voting and property ownership, were denied because of the Victorian attitude that men were superior in mind and body Victorian men were believed to be better able to make rational decisions than women of the same time They were better educated, as a rule, and were strongly considered the heads of their families Fallen Converse to the idea that Victorian men were superior to women, they also were considered fallen Victorian men considered themselves sinners who could be saved by a virtuous woman Because of this they held virginal women, who seemed to have no appetite for anything carnal, in high esteem This attitude forgave men for behavior that would have been unacceptable in a woman Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_8495528_mens-roles-victorianera.html#ixzz347dh27kr The etiquette expected for a woman during the Victorian era depended largely on which social class they belonged to Those who lived as members of the upper classes received knowledge since birth on how to behave like a lady Lower class women held more leeway in regard to behavioral standards for that time period Middle class females had a bit more freedom However, mothers and guardians generally encouraged them to learn proper etiquette • Significance Certain female social behaviors came down to black or white on certain etiquette rules with no gray area in between Women had to welcome a man's offer of assistance if that man was considered a gentlemen Victorian females appropriate mannerisms forbade them to say an adult's first name while out in public The acceptability of a woman's skirt to raise in public with the exception of crossing deep mud held implicate restrictions because their ankles couldn't show Women could not speak above a natural and desirable vocal pitch Proper behavior forbade the use of obnoxious speech • • Dressing Rooms The male dominated world during Victorian times granted women haven only while they got ready in their dressing rooms a place men never entered into Once inside; however, ladies still created, practiced and put together their appearances before stepping out to greet the world In the dressing rooms, women made sure that they put their hair up because it wasn't acceptable for them to leave it down Married women had to maintain a good appearance for their husbands Most of the work entailed involved making themselves appear desirable got done in their dressing room Considerations Society saw sweeping changes during the Victorian era Large industries began cropping up everywhere Those who once had no money rose up to form a wider middle class As this happened, they started to demand acceptance as ladies and gentlemen Women who never learned proper etiquette studied everything they could find The 1850s saw a major rise in the production of etiquette books More women than ever learned what being a lady entailed Read more: http://www.ehow.com/about_6601817_etiquette-women-victoriantimes.html#ixzz347eGV6vi