Final answer:
In the nineteenth century, fathers often had final authority in child-rearing, women were moral guides at home, and extended families and communities played important roles in child-rearing practices. Industrialization and societal shifts affected family size and dynamics, and women began to use their household skills for broader social objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The parenting roles and social dynamics of the nineteenth century and earlier periods were distinctly different from modern conceptions. Fathers often had the final say in decisions about their children, reflecting the patriarchal structure of society at that time. Mothers, on the other hand, usually took on the role of moral and spiritual guides within the home, as part of the 'Cult of Domesticity' or 'Cult of True Womanhood'. Extended families provided instrumental support, and communities had significant influence on child-rearing practices. As industrialization advanced, the nature of work shifted, affecting family size and dynamics, with the middle classes reducing their number of children while the working-class families faced challenges in providing for large families within the constraints of industrial urban environments.
Women's roles began to transform as they adapted household skills to social causes within the community. These societal shifts also coincided with changes in legal rights for women, including restrictions on property ownership, divorce, and child custody. Maternal feminism emerged as a concept where women aimed to extend their nurturing qualities from the home to the wider society, casting them as culture bearers responsible for transmitting societal values and ideals to their children.
In summary, various external social factors, including economic changes, social norms, and legal constraints, strongly influenced how families socialized their children throughout the historical period in question.