Botticini and Dowries

This essay will attempt to critically analyse Botticini’s article, ‘A loveless economy? Intergenerational altruism and the marriage market in a Tuscan town’. There will be particular concentration placed upon the statistical approaches Botticini has used and the strengths and weaknesses these approaches prompt, with minor evaluation regarding the essay’s layout, structure and accessibility.

The title and Botticini’s opening comments make it clear to the reader that this will be an extraordinary essay. Botticini is an historian removed from ideas of humanism, predominantly based around the principles of cold, hard statistical fact. The opening words “A loveless economy?” are a perfect accompaniment to her writing style and candour. They instantly tell the reader that marriage and the issue of the dowry will be heavily researched and economic history will be a forerunner throughout the article. It is apparent early on that Botticini’s main aim throughout the article is to use statistical approaches and primary data to examine the roles of dowries in fifteenth century Tuscany. It is made clear that two major variables that affected the size and amount of the dowries bestowed will also be examined. These two variables relate to past altruism and the net value hypothesis. Both these variables tie in with her hypotheses investigating the idea that the more a family cares for their daughter, the bigger the dowry provided and the other hypothesis being that the net loss of a daughter benefited both the husband and previous family economically. Both these hypotheses are introduced well and although appearing to be complicated in outlook, are well described and easily identifiable.

Botticini’s hypotheses are very modern, relying on present day attitudes and understandings of economics and monetary value within family life. Obvious links are shared with the past, between modern day marriage and family relations coupled with economic marriage proposals. Botticini’s use