Women, Clubs and Associations in Britain (Routledge Research in Gender and History)

Women have been consistently excluded from all manner of clubs and associations over the years, whether as the direct result of an anti-woman policy or indirectly through prohibitive entry requirements, social constraints, or conflict of interests and tastes. Retaliation from women has taken two directions: some women have set up their own exclusive clubs that reflect their own interests and aims, while others have taken on the men and striven to break down resistance to their joining ‘men’s’ clubs on an equal footing.

This book traces the development of the current situation, drawing from a wide range of sources, some of which have never been published before. Looking at the different types of clubs and associations that include women and girls from the WI to the Girl Guides, this book is a rich social history full of fascinating observations and stories, and will be absorbing reading for anyone interested in sociology, women’s history or the transformation of Britain’s social life.

David Doughan MBE was Reference Librarian at The Fawcett Library (now The Women's Library) from 1977 to 2000 after a career in teaching and broadcasting; he continues to be closely involved with the Library. He has been a prominent member of the Women's History Network and a conspicuous contributor to women's studies and women's history, with special reference to suffrage history and periodical bibliography. Previous publications include Lobbying for Liberation (1980), Feminist Periodicals 1855–1984 (1987) with Denise Sanchez, and the Dictionary of British Women's Organisations (2001) with Peter Gordon.,
Peter Gordon is Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Education, University of London. He has had wide experience of teaching history and was a member of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools for a number of years. He has written and researched on many aspects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century political, educational and social history and social policy, and is a Fellow of both the Society of Antiquaries and of the Royal Historical Society. Recent publications include the Dictionary of British Women's Organisations (2001) with David Doughan, and Politics and Society: The Journals of Lady Knightley of Fawsley, 1885–1913 (2004).