Gender, Modernity, and the Popular Press in Inter-War Britain

by Adrian Bingham

Overview

Journalists often claim that they write the first draft of history, but few historians examine the press in detail when preparing later drafts. This book demonstrates the value of popular newspapers as a historical source by using them to explore the attitudes and identities of inter-war Britain, and in particular the reshaping of femininity and masculinity. It provides a fresh insight into a period of great significance in the making of twentieth century gender identities, when women and men were coming to terms with the upheavals of the Great War, the arrival of democracy, and rapid social change. The book also deepens our understanding of the development of the modern media by showing how newspaper editors, in the fierce competition for readers, developed a template for the popular press that is still influential today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199272471
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/09/2004
Series:	Oxford Historical Monographs
Pages:	278
Product dimensions:	9.21(w) x 6.14(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Institute of Historical Research

Table of Contents

Introduction1. The evolution of the popular daily press2. The discourse of modernity3. Traditional duties: housewife, mother, consumer4. Reshaping the political sphere: the female voter5. The gendered gaze: fashion, the female body and sexual morality6. Patriotism and citizenship: the gendered languages of war and peace7. Masculinity: ideals and anxietiesConclusionsAppendix: The women's pagesBibliography