Final answer:
Victorian middle-class women were expected to maintain domestic roles, uphold morality, and manage households. They also became involved in social projects and community causes.
As women gained education and independence, they questioned traditional gender roles and asserted their presence in public life and movements like women's suffrage.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Victorian Era, middle-class women in the United States and Europe were expected to maintain domestic responsibilities and uphold Victorian values of modesty and morality.
While men often worked away from the home, middle-class women were expected to care for children, maintain a clean and orderly household, cultivate good manners within their family, and manage consumer purchases to reflect the family's status.
This domestic role was complemented by an engagement in community projects and causes such as the women's suffrage movement, temperance, and women's rights, signaling a shift from the home to public life as women's education and participation in the paid workforce increased.
In addition to household management, Victorian middle-class women were involved in various social projects and took pride in creating a positive home environment that echoed the business and educational principles practiced by their husbands and children.
Publications like Good Housekeeping and Ladies' Home Journal became popular for their focus on domesticity. Over time, as women became more educated and socially active, they began to challenge traditional gender roles and engaged in public life.