Domestic advice literature 1

Abstract

Early modern advice literature on family life and household work is characterized by a remarkable diversity of topics, formats and addressees. It reflects the multifunctionality of the domestic sphere and has contributed to shaping contemporary notions of it by defining and describing domestic activities. This chapter attempts to show that, from the perspective of a global history of knowledge, the genre deserves a rediscovery. Domestic advice literature from the early modern period has attracted the interest of scholars working on a wide range of historical subjects. The western European culture of domestic advice had roots in classical Greek and Latin oeconomica and res rustica texts, which were published in new editions by humanists across Europe. Historiographical trends of the past decades have one by one revealed manifold aspects of early modern advice literature.