'Feminism' and the history of women's rights -- The domestic ideology of Victorian patriarchy -- Class, liberalism and the erosion of Victorian domestic ideology -- Religious change and the transformation of domestic ideology -- The politics of paternity -- Performing masculinities in the House of Commons -- Classes, interests and parliamentary reform -- The instability of the 1867 settlement, the secret ballot and women's suffrage -- Redefining 'fitness': from the educated voter to household suffrage -- The road to democracy, 1885-1906 -- Conclusion
Summary
"This groundbreaking history of Victorian politics, feminism and parliamentary reform challenges traditional assumptions about the development of British democracy and the struggle for women's rights and demonstrates how political activity has been shaped by changes in the history of masculinity. From the second half of the nineteenth century Britain's all-male parliament began to transform the legal position of women as it reformed laws that had upheld male authority for centuries. To explain these revolutionary changes, Ben Griffin looks beyond the actions of the women's movement alone and shows how the behaviour and ideologies of male politicians were fundamentally shaped by their gender. He argues that changes to women's rights were not simply the result of changing ideas about women but also changing beliefs about masculinity, religion and the nature of the constitution and, in doing so, demonstrates how gender inequality can be created and reproduced by the state"-- Provided by publisher
