Socialist Women

Description

This fascinating new study examines the experiences of women involved in the socialist movement during its formative years in Britain and the active role they played in campaigning for the vote. By giving full attention to this much-neglected group of women, Socialist Women examines and challenges the orthodox views of labour and suffrage history. Torn between competing loyalties of gender, class and politics, socialist women did not have a fixed identity but a number of contested identities. June Hannam and Karen Hunt probe issues that created divisions between these women, as well as giving them the opportunity to act together. In three fascinating case studies they explore:* women's suffrage* women and internationalism* the politics of consumptionBelieving above all that being a woman was vital to their politics, these individuals sought to develop a woman-focused theory of socialism and to put this new politics into practice.Socialist Women explores what it meant to be a socialist woman against the backdrop of enormous political and social upheaval caused by the First World War and the growth of the women's suffrage movement. The viewpoint of these women brings a new perspective to both socialist and feminist politics, which will make absorbing reading for anyone interested in gender history or the politics of this period.

First Sentence

These statements were written by two leading female socialist propagandists in support of women's claim to exercise the parliamentary franchise.

Description

"This new study examines the experiences of women involved in the socialist movement during its formative years in Britain. By giving full attention to this much-neglected group, Socialist Women examines and challenges the orthodox views of labour and suffrage history.". "The opening chapters examine the ideas and political journeys of individual socialist women. Torn between competing loyalties of gender, class and party, socialist women did not have a fixed identity but a number of contested identities. Believing above all that being a woman was vital to their politics, these individuals sought to develop a woman-focused theory of socialism and to put this new politics into practice. June Hannam and Karen Hunt go on to probe the issues that created divisions between these women, as well as those which gave them the opportunity to act together, in three fascinating case studies: women's suffrage; women and internationalism; the politics of consumption.". "Socialist Women explores what it meant to be a socialist woman against the backdrop of the pioneering days of the socialist movement, the growth of the Edwardian women's suffrage campaign and the enormous political and social upheaval caused by the First World War. The viewpoint of these women brings a new perspective to both socialist and feminist politics, which will make this book absorbing reading for anyone interested in gender history or the politics of this period"--BOOK JACKET.

Subjects

Other Editions

• Socialist Women: Britain, 1880s to 1920sRoutledge2001-11-30
• Socialist WomenRoutledge2001-11-30
• Socialist WomenElectronic resourceTaylor & Francis Inc2004-01-01