Women in Britain: Voices and Perspectives from Twentieth Century History

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The millennium has sharpened perspectives on the history of women in twentieth-century Britain. Many features of the contemporary gender order date only from the last decades of the century the expectation of equal opportunities in education and the work-place, sexual autonomy for the individual and tolerance of a variety of family forms. The years dominated by the two World Wars saw real advances towards equal citizenship and legal rights, and a growing sense of the impact on women of modernity in its various forms, including consumerism and the mass media. But values inherited from the Victorians were still reflected in the class hierarchy, the policing of sexuality and the male-breadwinner family. This anthology of original sources, accompanied by a state-of-the-art bibliography, illustrates patterns of continuity and change in womens experience and their place in national life. An introductory survey provides an accessible overview and analysis of controversial issues, such as the relationship between first, second and third wave feminism.

Reviews

A century of change and continuity in women's lives is masterfully narrated by Janet Howarth in this excellent book. We grasp the myriad meanings of being a woman in twentieth-century Britain through the words of politicians and policy makers, feminists and agitators, social investigators and sociologists, novelists and poets, and we hear women's own voices in every key. Howarth's selection of texts offers a tantalising flavour of the rich resources available for exploring women's history, covering every subject from motherhood and work to politics and sexuality. Prefaced with a superb essay by the author synthesising major themes in the recent scholarship, Women in Britain is highly recommended for anyone teaching or studying this intriguing and capacious subject. -- Helen McCarthy, University Lecturer in Modern British History, University of Cambridge
An invaluable asset for students studying contemporary British history. Informative and timely, it portrays the rich diversity of womens lives during this period. -- June Purvis, Professor of Womens and Gender History (Emerita), University of Portsmouth
Essential for any serious historian of the social history of modern Britain. -- Sue Bruley, Reader in Modern History, University of Portsmouth

Author Bio

Janet H. Howarth is Emeritus Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, specialising in the history of the women's movement and the history of education in modern Britain.