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Peasants’ Family Cards in Vexin Français: Richness, Profession, Birth, Education and Marriage(18th-19th century)

  • Korean Review of French History
  • Abbr : KRFH
  • 2004, (10), pp.2~2
  • Publisher : KOREAN SOCIETY FOR FRENCH HISTORY
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

Kim Kyung- keun 1

1전북대학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

It’s a study done from 3,459 family cards constructed by Professor Jacques Dupaquier. So far, the cereal plain of Vexin Français has been neglected by demographic historians who, nevertheless, have revealed the first indices of contraception of France in the wine -producing villages of Vexin Francais. We dare to think that we have proved that the peasants in the cereal-producing villages have controlled the birth from the middle of the 18th century. We have examined the groups by social standards to understand the difference of demographic behaviour between riches and poors, the educated and non-educated. The poors have been the first―from 1740s―who have diminished the number of birth. But it seems to have been rather a defensive reaction to the famine and to the diminution of the child mortality than the contraception in a modern sense. As for the riches, they have practiced it from the 1780s when the diminution of child mortality appeared which, nevertheless, was a strategy aiming at preserving the hereditary property. In addition, men and women controlling the birth in that period were educated in majority. That’s why we classify the diminution in 1780s as a modern contraception. We affirm therefore that the progress of education―very clear in the course of 18th century in Vexin Fançais―has contributed to a generalization of the contraceptive practices. In any case, it seems certain that the Vexin peasants have succeeded in breaking the ‘malthusian chain’ even before the English pastor has formulated it.

Citation status

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This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.