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How did Rousseauās views on education differ for boys and girls?
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Students and an instructor in a classroom in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
In his seminal work Ćmile, Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that while the education of both boys and girls should be rooted in the principle of naturalness, their paths must diverge significantly due to inherent sexual differences.12
Rousseau believed that a girlās education should not aim to make her a man, but rather prepare her for her specific role as the center of the family, a housewife, and a mother. Consequently, he advocated for the following distinctions:12
- Practical Focus: Because he deemed intellectual education secondary for women, he insisted that a girl's studies remain strictly on the practical side.12
- Social and Moral Expectations: Rousseau argued that a woman should strive to please her husband and be more concerned than a man with maintaining a good reputation.12
- Religious Expression: He suggested that women should be satisfied with a simple religion based on emotions rather than the more complex moral and rational development he prescribed for boys.12
Ultimately, Rousseau viewed these gendered roles as essential to his vision of domestic harmony, where men rule in public life and women rule in private life.3