Final answer:
The Victorian Era, marked by Queen Victoria's reign, witnessed significant cultural, economic, and social changes influenced by the Industrial Revolution, leading to mass culture, distinct gender roles, and an entrepreneurial spirit alongside conservative class divisions and moral values.
Step-by-step explanation:
Victorian Era Culture and Changes
The subject of the question pertains to the cultural, economic, and social transformations during the late nineteenth century, commonly referred to as the Victorian Era. This time period is named after Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, and it signified the climax of British imperialism and bourgeois cultural norms. The era was marked by rigid class divisions, conservative gender roles, and an ideology that believed in the European superiority and civilizational advancement through industrial progress and scientific discovery.
Dramatic societal changes were instigated by the Industrial Revolution, which led to the rise of cities, mass production, and consumer culture alongside significant shifts in gender roles.
The bourgeois women were expected to maintain modesty, sobriety, and a high moral standing, while middle-class men typically worked outside the home. These societal expectations were also reflected in the distinct clothing styles of different social classes.
Furthermore, the Victorian Era was a time of prolific invention and entrepreneurship. The proliferation of industrial technology and use of fossil fuels during this period allowed for the mass production of culture, typified by the spread of literacy and increase in consumption of goods among the wider population.
This period, while steeped in an ideology of social order and control, also witnessed contradictions such as the rise in alcoholism and drug use among societal elites.