Women, class and social action in late-Victorian and Edwardian London
This thesis explores the relationship between class, gender and feminist identity through an examination of women's involvement in philanthropy and social reform in London from 1870 to 1906. Middle-class women's engagement in such work â termed collectively here as 'social action' â has long been claimed as the nursery of first-wave feminist political identity. Numerous historians have framed social action as the means by which women moved from the 'private' to the 'public' sphere and the ground where women developed their claim to a place in national political life in the three decades prior to the upsurge of suffrage campaigning in 1906. Whilst agreeing with this broad narrative of the relationship between social action and feminism, the thesis addresses the lack of discussion of class differences between women in the existing literature on the subject. The forms of social action examined in detail in this thesis were predicated upon this very difference between women: on the belief in the power of the lady to reshape the bodies, characters, homes and workplaces of poor women. Women social activists themselves had a central role in making identities of class, through the dissemination of their expert
Livesey, Ruth
HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform ; HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Women, class and social action in late-Victorian and Edwardian London. This thesis explores the relationship between class, gender and feminist identity through an examination of women's involvement in philanthropy and social reform in London from 1870 to 1906. Middle-class women's engagement in such work â termed collectively here as 'social action' â has long been claimed as the nursery of first-wave feminist political identity. Numerous historians have framed social action as the means by which women moved from the 'private' to the 'public' sphere and the ground where women developed their claim to a place in national political life in the three decades prior to the upsurge of suffrage campaigning in 1906. Whilst agreeing with this broad narrative of the relationship between social action and feminism, the thesis addresses the lack of discussion of class differences between women in the existing literature on the subject. The forms of social action examined in detail in this thesis were predicated upon this very difference between women: on the belief in the power of the lady to reshape the bodies, characters, homes and workplaces of poor women. Women social activists themselves had a central role in making identities of class, through the dissemination of their expert
women class social_action late_victorian edwardian london explores_relationship class_gender feminist identity examination woman involvement philanthropy social_reform london middle_class woman engagement work term collectively social_action long claimed nursery first_wave feminist political_identity numerous historian frame social_action mean woman move private_public sphere ground woman develop claim place national political_life prior upsurge suffrage whilst agree broad narrative relationship social_action feminism address lack discussion class difference woman exist_literature subject form social_action examine_detail predicate upon difference woman belief power lady reshape body character home workplace poor woman women social activist central_role make identity class dissemination expert