Male Social Roles

Organized patterns of relationships through interaction with one another is foundational to societies.   Common interest, beliefs, and these organized patterns of group behavior often produce a community of enduring and cooperative activities.  Standards of living and conduct are part of the factors that help us understand the environment that our ancestors lived within and survived.

The following figure attempts to present the male social structure of pre-industrialized England.  For those of us with Welsh ancestry, the Act of Union [1536] brought two different social groups [Welsh and English] into one environment. This "Union" created many social changes among those of Welsh descent.

The English society was structured around social classes that kept individuals within accepted groups.  In broad terms, these are outline above.  The existing educational structure for the "male child" beginning in "Infancy" to the start of "Adult Life" is shown.  Accepted roles for each social group is shown along the bottom.  From "farm/field" [rural existences], to the royal court of England [high society], the expected social positions are shown.  Our Welsh ancestors were to fit within their assigned male social roles.