'Trotsch als een gelardeerde kip', over Amsterdamse dienstboden en dames tussen 1840 en 1860

Abstract

Housemaids were an intrinsic part of Dutch bourgeoise culture, while working as a housemaid was a common life course for young girls who were lowborn. Housemaids could either be a symbol of status or a cumbersome burden on bourgeoisie women. This thesis looks at the reasons for the rising conflict between housemaids and bourgeoisie women between 1840 and 1850 and suggests that one of the main reasons for the conflict were changing demographics within the bourgeoise society. Upcoming new rich families, who had no experience with maintaining a staff, did not know how to treat their housemaids and possibly used their staff to secure their position to the outside world by mistreating them.