Sisterhood or surveillance? : the development of working girls' clubs in London 1880-1939
This thesis investigates the Girls' Club Movement in multi-cultural London from the l880s to 1939 and situates it within the context of gender, class and race. Part One places the clubs in their historicalcontext and critically examines issues of poverty, sexual purity, morality, femininity and ethnicity. The ways in which ideas about race superiority interacted with class superiority in the formation of middle class values are also discussed as is the contemporary perception of working class and ethnic minority cultures. The cultural gap between the social classes is highlighted as are the forms of surveillance including disguise, which were undertaken in order to gain knowledge of working class life. Part Two looks at clubs in relation to the concerns discussed in Part One. Chapter Six (and the Appendix) survey the provision of clubs in London. Chapters Seven, Eight and Nine examine the clubs under the overlapping themes of protection, discipline and empowerment. The nature of this empowerment is examined in the context of the dominant ideology of married motherhood. Drawing on little-used club records and oral evidence, the thesis suggests that the clubs were part of a middle class initiative which aimed
Dove, Iris
DA Great Britain ; H Social Sciences (General) ; HM Sociology ; HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Sisterhood or surveillance? : the development of working girls' clubs in London 1880-1939. This thesis investigates the Girls' Club Movement in multi-cultural London from the l880s to 1939 and situates it within the context of gender, class and race. Part One places the clubs in their historicalcontext and critically examines issues of poverty, sexual purity, morality, femininity and ethnicity. The ways in which ideas about race superiority interacted with class superiority in the formation of middle class values are also discussed as is the contemporary perception of working class and ethnic minority cultures. The cultural gap between the social classes is highlighted as are the forms of surveillance including disguise, which were undertaken in order to gain knowledge of working class life. Part Two looks at clubs in relation to the concerns discussed in Part One. Chapter Six (and the Appendix) survey the provision of clubs in London. Chapters Seven, Eight and Nine examine the clubs under the overlapping themes of protection, discipline and empowerment. The nature of this empowerment is examined in the context of the dominant ideology of married motherhood. Drawing on little-used club records and oral evidence, the thesis suggests that the clubs were part of a middle class initiative which aimed
development work girl club london investigates girls club movement multi cultural london situates_within context gender_class race part_one place club critically_examine issue poverty sexual purity morality femininity ethnicity way idea race superiority interact class superiority formation middle_class value also_discuss contemporary_perception work_class ethnic_minority culture cultural gap social_class highlight form include disguise undertaken_order gain knowledge work_class life part_two look club relation concern discuss part_one appendix survey provision club london examine club overlap theme protection discipline empowerment nature empowerment examine context dominant_ideology marry motherhood drawing little used club record oral_evidence suggest club part middle_class initiative aim