The Effects of Catholicism on the Education of Women in...

The Effects of Catholicism on the Education of Women in Renaissance Italy According to Paul Grendler, the conservative, clerical pedagogical theorist Silvio Antoniano (1540-1603) reflected on women’s educational status in Renaissance Italy in one of his written works, claiming that â€Å"†¦a girl (should not) learn ‘pleading and writing poetry’; the vain sex must not reach too high†¦A girl should attend to sewing, cooking, and other female activities, leaving to men what was theirs†. Apparently, this was the common-held view concerning women’s education during that time. Although women were actually encouraged to literacy, their subservient social role as wives and mothers could not allow them to learn as much as men did (Grendler, 1989).†¦show more content†¦Thus, we see that in a sense, Catholicism acted as a catalyst in the development of female education. Paradoxically enough though, at the same time, it limited the possible level of knowledge they could attain. The thought of the supposedly foolish, sinful female sex breaking the bonds of ignorance made many people fear the possibility of women reading â€Å"forbidden† books. Dante’s â€Å"La vita nuova†, the Petrarchan sonnets and the â€Å"Decameron† are a few examples of books that were considered lasciviously dangerous and kept off-limits (Grendler, 1989). Indeed, women could be educated, yet within a certain framework. Their level of knowledge only went up to a point, in order to make sure they grew up to be exemplary, pious, Christian housewives. In this paper I will discuss the popular views concerning women’s nature and status in society and how this affected their education. I will mention what women learned and how; what kinds of institutions were accessible to what types of women. Men’s education will be briefly mentioned in places. My main concern though, is not education in general. Through this paper I shall attempt to explain how Catholicism made it easier for women to a cquire an education, but at the same time present the restrictions it imposed upon them. ContemporaryShow MoreRelatedItalian American Cultural Values Based Off Hofstede s Value Orientation1856 Words   |  8 Pagesnumber of Italian immigrants increased rapidly throughout the nation. From 1880-1924, more than 4 million Italians immigrated to America (Will, n.d.). These immigrants, mainly artisans and peasants, represented all regions of Italy, but most of them came from the Southern Italy. 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