What do you think?
Rate this book
Love, Intimacy and Power: Marriage and patriarchy in Scotland, 1650–1850
Winner of the 2012 Senior Hume Brown Prize in Scottish History and the 2012 Women's History Network (UK) Book Prize
Through an analysis of the correspondence of over one hundred couples from the Scottish elites across the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, this book explores how ideas around the nature of emotional intimacy, love and friendship within marriage adapted to a modernising economy and society. Patriarchy continued to be the central model for marriage across the period and as a result, women found spaces to hold power within the family, but could not translate it to power beyond the household. Comparing the Scottish experience to that across Europe and North America, Barclay shows that throughout the eighteenth century, far from being a side-note in European history, Scottish ideas about gender and marriage became culturally dominant.
Now available in paperback, this book will be vital to those studying and teaching Scottish social history, and those interested in the history of marriage and gender. It will also appeal to feminists interested in the history of patriarchy.
'An important and original study'
WHN Book Prize 2012 Judges
Through an analysis of the correspondence of over one hundred couples from the Scottish elites across the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, this book explores how ideas around the nature of emotional intimacy, love and friendship within marriage adapted to a modernising economy and society. Patriarchy continued to be the central model for marriage across the period and as a result, women found spaces to hold power within the family, but could not translate it to power beyond the household. Comparing the Scottish experience to that across Europe and North America, Barclay shows that throughout the eighteenth century, far from being a side-note in European history, Scottish ideas about gender and marriage became culturally dominant.
Now available in paperback, this book will be vital to those studying and teaching Scottish social history, and those interested in the history of marriage and gender. It will also appeal to feminists interested in the history of patriarchy.
'An important and original study'
WHN Book Prize 2012 Judges
236 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2011
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 4, 2026
(Read for uni)
I really liked learning about how conceptions of love and marriage changed in the 18th century towards concepts that are already very similar to the ones we have today. I always like learning about the history of concepts, because it shows how maybe what we think of as the inherent nature of Love is acutally something that has been historically constructed. Made me reflect on how I think about love, commitment, and power relations in long-term relationships.
I really liked learning about how conceptions of love and marriage changed in the 18th century towards concepts that are already very similar to the ones we have today. I always like learning about the history of concepts, because it shows how maybe what we think of as the inherent nature of Love is acutally something that has been historically constructed. Made me reflect on how I think about love, commitment, and power relations in long-term relationships.
Displaying 1 of 1 review