LH Sem 2 Week 2 - Men and women (and everybody else) in History
Prior to the C20th, men and women didn’t have a history. They had a past,
but not everyone was included
Historical narrative gives people a sense of belonging/purpose. People who
are not covered in history books (blacks, gays etc.) feel excluded
‘History from below’ argues that those excluded from power/history books
are important. Those at the bottom enabled those who allowed those who
were powerful to exercise power e.g. built parliamentary building, drove
carriages
Historians from below look at widely-circulated newspapers, letters etc.
1970s feminism/Marxism come to prominence. Engels’ views combined
with female empowerment
Audre Lorde, famous black lesbian feminist “A Woman Speaks”. Criticises
white, male viewpoint on history
Mid C18th Catherine McCalley wrote a ‘History of England’, but largely
ignored, even by modern historiographers, seen as too feminine
Late C19th Britain – movements for female rights. International – also in
China – anti-foot binding etc. India – lack of women’s education, child
marriages – combined with nationalism.
Communication via colonialism. In China, Western science used to critique
Confucian misogyny. India – Christianity seen as more gender inclusive.
However, British wanted Indian women to stay in the home.
Modern feminists demand a history of their own
‘Herstory’ is a term that came out of 1970s lesbian feminism, Miller & Swift
However, since the 1950s, many significant books have been published on
women’s history internationally
Joan Scott, 2011 ‘we wanted to change the way the stories would be told.’
Women’s history led to the search for a different type of source –
parliamentary, military, economic, intellectual records said very little about
women.
Patriarchy – the system of domination of women by men at all levels of
society
Marxist viewpoint – where did women fit in? Even working class men could
‘own’ a wife to run the home, take the profit (sexual gratification and
children).
Women and workers sense their bodies for basic survival and are alienated
from their labour (do not own the produce), but men, regardless of class,
can own and benefit from a woman
In C19th England, the industrial revolution created separate spheres – the
home and the workplace. Respectable women were relegated to the home.
Ideas of masculinity and femininity changed.
Prior to the C20th, men and women didn’t have a history. They had a past,
but not everyone was included
Historical narrative gives people a sense of belonging/purpose. People who
are not covered in history books (blacks, gays etc.) feel excluded
‘History from below’ argues that those excluded from power/history books
are important. Those at the bottom enabled those who allowed those who
were powerful to exercise power e.g. built parliamentary building, drove
carriages
Historians from below look at widely-circulated newspapers, letters etc.
1970s feminism/Marxism come to prominence. Engels’ views combined
with female empowerment
Audre Lorde, famous black lesbian feminist “A Woman Speaks”. Criticises
white, male viewpoint on history
Mid C18th Catherine McCalley wrote a ‘History of England’, but largely
ignored, even by modern historiographers, seen as too feminine
Late C19th Britain – movements for female rights. International – also in
China – anti-foot binding etc. India – lack of women’s education, child
marriages – combined with nationalism.
Communication via colonialism. In China, Western science used to critique
Confucian misogyny. India – Christianity seen as more gender inclusive.
However, British wanted Indian women to stay in the home.
Modern feminists demand a history of their own
‘Herstory’ is a term that came out of 1970s lesbian feminism, Miller & Swift
However, since the 1950s, many significant books have been published on
women’s history internationally
Joan Scott, 2011 ‘we wanted to change the way the stories would be told.’
Women’s history led to the search for a different type of source –
parliamentary, military, economic, intellectual records said very little about
women.
Patriarchy – the system of domination of women by men at all levels of
society
Marxist viewpoint – where did women fit in? Even working class men could
‘own’ a wife to run the home, take the profit (sexual gratification and
children).
Women and workers sense their bodies for basic survival and are alienated
from their labour (do not own the produce), but men, regardless of class,
can own and benefit from a woman
In C19th England, the industrial revolution created separate spheres – the
home and the workplace. Respectable women were relegated to the home.
Ideas of masculinity and femininity changed.
