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A woman's place in the village : an oral history study of working class women's lives between 1890 and 1940 in and around Broadway, Worcestershire
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Sidenius, Jean Hilary (1993) A woman's place in the village : an oral history study of working class women's lives between 1890 and 1940 in and around Broadway, Worcestershire. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1416015~S1
Abstract
This thesis on the role of the rural working class woman,
centred on the village of Broadway, Worcestershire and
surrounding villages in the period 1890 - 1940, examines and
develops the hypothesis that they played a key role in the
social and economic functioning of their families. While they
were conditioned and educated to provide a reservoir of cheap
labour in a very limited variety of gender specific
employments - domestic service, sewing, and some forms of
field work, this study demonstrates that village women did
not perceive themselves as powerless. Their housekeeping
role included the power of the purse and in contrast to
middle class women they, in addition to their men, were
earners and providers. Their managerial role within the
family and their pivotal role within the extended family
provided the means by which their families could cope with
low incomes and harsh living conditions.
This thesis examines all aspects of rural women's lives from
the formative influences of the home, church, class, and
school, to work experience, and marriage. The family's
income, including men's, women's and children's contributions
is examined, together with its outgoings, including housing,
food and clothing, the use and avoidance of debt, and family
leisure. The extent of the role of women as providers and
receivers of mutual aid within the extended family is
researched. Finally, a comparison is made between this
research into the role of rural working class woman and
research into that of her urban counterpart.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Broadway (England) -- Social conditions -- 19th century, Broadway (England) -- Social conditions -- 20th century, Broadway (England) -- Economic conditions -- 19th century, Broadway (England) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century, Working class women -- England -- Broadway -- History -- 19th century, Working class women -- England -- Broadway -- History -- 20th century, Rural women -- England -- History -- 19th century, Rural women -- England -- History -- 20th century | ||||
Official Date: | September 1993 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Department of Social History | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Mason, Tony, 1938- | ||||
Extent: | xvi, 426 leaves | ||||
Language: | eng |
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