Resumen

CAVIGLIA, María Jorgelina. Ella es el corazón y él, la cabeza: conservación del orden social y relaciones intergenéricas en la obra de Samuel Smiles. Cuad. Sur, Hist. [online]. 2003, n.32, pp. 79-105. ISSN 1668-7604.

The Victorian time is a key moment to study, from the historical standpoint, the ideological conceptualization of the feminine/masculine opposition. Based on traditional tendencies reinforced by Puritan, Methodist and renewed Anglican contributions, the bourgeoisie built an ideal of woman and man that intended to divide society in two spheres according to genre, each with its specific and strictly stated functions and roles. This work analyses the contribution made, through his work, by Samuel Smiles to the spreading of these archetypes. His essaysremarkably influential over the Argentine positivism - were an unmistakable expression of the English moralist discourse of the XIX century, transmitter of strong generic mandates that became tools to preserve the social order. Based on the naturalization of social conditions and taking sexual differences as an axis, Smiles developed his statements as a kind of counterpoint: for women, especially wives and mothers, it was the small environment of the home and family, so the education they were given had to consider that first priority objective. Also, and as a public extension of their domestic work, he trusted them charity and philanthropy. For men, he kept exclusively the "active life works", the external work and voting, as well as the political participation. His writings, unmistakably Victorian, helped with the social control and the defense and legitimization of patriarchy during the first moments of the struggles for women rights and emancipation.

Palabras llave : Victorianism; Inter-genre relationships; Samuel Smiles.