What has it meant to identify as 'feminist' in modern Britain? When did this term start to be used and who used it? Who has rejected the term and why? This module introduces students interested in the history of feminism and the women's movement to the varied forms these strategies of empowerment have taken at different historical moments. Each week we will scrutinise a variety of primary source materials such as suffrage banners, oral history interviews, magazines, and newspaper articles. We will also analyse how hierarchical ideas about gender, race, and class (alongside factors such as age and geographical context) shaped debates and the tensions which have permeated this activism. For example, we will investigate the anti-feminist commentary of certain social commentators, the 'mistresses' who did not think their maids should have the vote, and the frenzied debates about 'ladettes' in the 1990s and their place in feminist cultures.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Analyse and explain key events and historical processes relevant to the subject under scrutiny.
Analyse and explain reasons for and implications of these events and processes.
Identify the main scholarly views on the subject under investigation.
Work with an appropriate degree of learner independence to explain and analyse the material under scrutiny.
Communicate explanation and analysis of the subject clearly and effectively in writing.