Daily Life of Victorian Women (Daily Life Through History Series)

by Lydia Murdoch

Overview

Contrary to popular misconception, many Victorian women performed manual labor for wages directly alongside men, had political voice before women's suffrage, and otherwise contributed significantly to society outside of the domestic sphere. Daily Life of Victorian Women documents the varied realities of the lives of Victorian women; provides in-depth comparative analysis of the experiences of women from all classes, especially the working class; and addresses changes in their lives and society over time. The book covers key social, intellectual, and geographical aspects of women's lives, with main chapters on gender and ideals of womanhood, the state, religion, home and family, the body, childhood and youth, paid labor and professional work, urban life, and imperialism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313384998
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/01/2013
Series:	Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	286
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lydia Murdoch is associate professor of history and former director of the Women's Studies Program at Vassar College.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Chronology xi

Introduction: Victorian Contexts and Ideals of Womanhood xvii

1 Women and the State 1

2 Religion, Spiritualism, and Death 39

3 Family, Home, and Leisure 73

4 Health and Sexuality 113

5 Childrearing, Youth, and Education 143

6 Wage Labor and Professional Work 171

7 Urban Life 205

8 Women and Empire 231

Further Reading 263

Index 273

Editorial Reviews

12/01/2013
Murdoch (history, Vassar Coll.; Imagined Orphans: Poor Families, Child Welfare, and Contested Citizenship in London) offers a new perspective on the lives of Victorian women. The book uses a combination of primary and secondary sources to provide readers with an overview of the routines of work and leisure for women at all levels of society, dispelling the stereotype of Victorian women as solely stay-at-home wives and mothers. Readers will find here portrayals of figures who were politically and socially active, participating in the abolitionist movement, publishing political essays, petitioning parliament, and often working in other ways outside the home. In some instances, they also played prominent roles in religious movements. Throughout, there are numerous illustrations, as well as excerpts from books, government reports, magazines, diaries, and newspapers commenting on everything from women's rights under the law to women and the British Empire. Endnotes and a list of further readings by chapter close the book. VERDICT A worthwhile addition to public and academic libraries.—Diane Fulkerson, Univ. of South Florida, Lakeland

Library Journal

The writing is clear and should be accessible to college students or students in an advanced high-school class. Black-and-white photographs and images dot the text. The volume concludes with a listing of suggestions for further reading and an index. Recommended for most academic and larger public libraries.” —Booklist

“The text provides worthwhile insights into what it was like to be a woman during Victorian England.” —ARBA

“Murdoch offers a new perspective on the lives of Victorian women. . . . A worthwhile addition to public and academic libraries.” —Library Jourbanal

From the Publisher