Your search for: victorian AND britain AND women

This is a study of gender and power in Victorian Britain. It examines the contribution made by women to the public culture of the British aristocracy in the nineteenth century. It challenges the view that power and authority were predominantly masculine attributes and shows that a partnership of ...

This is a study of gender and power in Victorian Britain. It examines the contribution made by women to the public culture of the British aristocracy in the nineteenth century. It challenges the view that power and authority were predominantly masculine attributes and shows that a partnership of authority between men and women was integral to aristocratic life. The book is thus an important addition to the debate on `separate spheres'. Dr Reynolds explores the roles of aristocratic women in estate management, patronage of churches and schools, and in caring for the poor and other dependants. She shows how women were at the heart of the local communities and institutions on which aristocratic power was based. The book goes on to discuss the realm of national politics, analysing women's participation in the electoral process, in Westminster-based political life, and at Queen Victoria's court. Based on a wide range of previously unused archival sources, Aristocratic Women and Political Society presents a lively portrait of women's experiences and a corrective to the view of the upper-class Victorian woman as a passive social butterfly.

Lawrence Goldman examines the origins of social policies in the mid-Victorian period from the 1850s to the 1880s. He focuses on the Social Science Association (the SSA), a remarkable organization whose debates on Victorian society attracted many eminent and powerful contributors. The Association is ...

Lawrence Goldman examines the origins of social policies in the mid-Victorian period from the 1850s to the 1880s. He focuses on the Social Science Association (the SSA), a remarkable organization whose debates on Victorian society attracted many eminent and powerful contributors. The Association is famous for its influence over many different social policies, including the emancipation of women. It was the first and most important arena for the pioneer British feminists. Goldman depicts the SSA in the context of its age, and explains its relevance to politics, social life and intellectual development.

In this stimulating study of mid-Victorian ethics and the political economy, Geoffrey Searle argues that entrenched ideals of public virtue posed a much more effective challenge to market forces than the need to mitigate poverty. Highly readable as well as instructive, the book captures the ...

In this stimulating study of mid-Victorian ethics and the political economy, Geoffrey Searle argues that entrenched ideals of public virtue posed a much more effective challenge to market forces than the need to mitigate poverty. Highly readable as well as instructive, the book captures the ideological dilemma at the heart of nineteenth-century British history.

The reasons why people arise to express dissatisfaction with their present, and how they imagine and work towards an alternative, have enduring relevance. The reform campaigns of 19th-century Britain are of interest not only in their own right, but also because of what they reveal about processes of ...

The reasons why people arise to express dissatisfaction with their present, and how they imagine and work towards an alternative, have enduring relevance. The reform campaigns of 19th-century Britain are of interest not only in their own right, but also because of what they reveal about processes of political and social change. This book examines the personal, social, political, ideological, and tactical components of radicalism in Britain between the 1820s and 1860s, and casts new light on the meaning, nature, and reception of reform during this period. The main avenues of inquiry are provided by the career of Thomas Perronet Thompson, a prominent MP, political economist, and writer who helped to shape and articulate an "independent radicalism," which, with its distinctive commitments, outlook, and identity, has not previously been defined or explained.

"Pamela Walker's treatment of the Salvation Army restores religious and social complexity to a group too easily misunderstood in the twenty-first century. Drawing us into a vivid, vibrant world of Victorian experience, Walker proves that the significance of the movement extended far beyond the ...

"Pamela Walker's treatment of the Salvation Army restores religious and social complexity to a group too easily misunderstood in the twenty-first century. Drawing us into a vivid, vibrant world of Victorian experience, Walker proves that the significance of the movement extended far beyond the demonstrations that became a familiar part of London street life."--Deborah Valenze, author of "The First Industrial Woman"

"A major contribution to our understanding of Victorian society, [this book] will undoubtedly become the key work on the origins of the Salvation Army, a major reference not just among historians of religion, but also among urban historians, gender historians, and historians of popular culture. . . . Perhaps the outstanding feature of the book is the author's ability to interweave a highly nuanced account of the development and theological orientation of the Salvation Army, and a fresh appraisal of its central figures, with a broader understanding of Victorian society, culture, and politics."--Andrew Davies, author of "Leisure, Gender, and Poverty"

"Deeply researched and vividly written, this book offers an innovative and consistently thought-provoking interpretation of the Salvation Army's origins and early history. Three aspects of the book are especially interesting. First, the discussion of conversion, including its physical manifestations, is powerful and convincing. Second, the theme of gender runs through the book. As well as presenting a striking portrait of the Hallelujah Lasses, Walker shows how the Salvationists challenged conventional notions both of femininity and of masculinity. Third, her discussion of Salvationist propaganda and its ambivalent relation tothe urban working class milieu is consistently illuminating. She shows how the Army drew on certain aspects of popular culture in order to subvert other aspects."--Hugh McLeod, author of "Secularisation in Western Europe 184