From the mid-19th century up to the outbreak of the war in August 1914 the suffrage campaign had attained the size and the status of a mass movement, riveting the attention of the British public. During the wartimes the activities of suffragists came to a halt, and a new, “domestic ideology“ emerged. When in early 1918 the Parliament granted the vote for women over the age of thirty, as a gesture of recognition for women’s contribution to the war effort, British feminists felt the neccessity to fight for a deeper, a more essential reformation in society. New feminist organizations were created, laws improving the status of mothers were passed and a passionate debate over the nature of feminism had begun. “But by 1930 feminism seemed much less a threat to traditional structures” than during the wartimes and the postwar period. How could it be that such a big movement like the suffrage campaign had been so powerful and finally disappeared, considering that “interwar feminism trapped women in the cult of domesticity from which earlier feminists had tried to free themselves”? Why should a woman choose to enter the teaching profession in the first half of the twentieth century?
Teaching offered a large number of attractions as a job for women. Professional teaching involved the notion of a career, a life's work after a specific training, open only to those of a sufficient academic capacity.
See: Teaching young children was said to be:
"...one of the best forms of reconstruction work. The care of the children brings the teacher into closer touch with their mothers, who often come to her
for advice in any and every subject: thus she may be a means of furthering the social betterment of the homes and the country." (Students' Careers Association, Careers, p.15. Also see Board of Education, Training
of Teachers, p.40)
Women teachers became confident because of their academic success, their professional aspirations and their teacher education, which gave them a sense that they were part of an elite, especially a part of a female elite.
Elementary and secondary school teachers were different in their routes into the teaching profession:
Women who taught in elementary schools usually came from the intelligent working class or the lower middle class and underwent their education in a training college while secondary school teachers usually came from middle class and were university educated.
[...]
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Definition of "equality and new feminism"
2. Feminist Organizations
3. Legislation or "a substitute for change"
4. The NUSEC Executive Committee Split or the "Fall of the Feminist Empire"
5. Negative Historical Assessments or "taking another view at the movement"
Objectives and Themes
The work explores the evolution of British feminism between 1900 and 1939, focusing specifically on the teaching profession and the ideological shift between "equality" and "new" feminism. It examines how women teachers navigated professional identities, marriage bars, and political activism while grappling with changing social expectations and state-imposed gender roles.
- The distinction between equality feminism and new feminism.
- The impact of legislation on women's status and professional opportunities.
- The role of feminist organizations and teacher associations in political mobilization.
- The influence of the "marriage bar" on the career and personal lives of women teachers.
- Re-evaluating historical assessments of the interwar feminist movement.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Definition of “equality and new feminism”
First of all, it has to be clarified who is meant by “equality feminists” and who by “new feminists”. When we talk about “equality feminists” we talk about a group of feminists concentrating on equal opportunities for women, e.g. having the same rights and possibilities as men, seeking to eliminate sex role differences. “New feminists”, on the other hand, are a group of feminists promoting “reforms related to women’s special concerns , especially those involving motherhood”. For them, based on sexual difference, women’s needs are different from men’s and the notion of two separate spheres becomes important.
To understand the distinction between both of them, we have to take a look on the assumptions underlying those principles. “New feminists accused equality feminists of seeking to become like men, of adopting male values and priorities. Equality feminists warned that new feminists placed a dangerous insistence on women’s natures, which encouraged traditional notions of femaleness, thereby making it harder for women to escape from traditional roles. Whereas new feminists referred to maternity as the most important of women’s occupations, equality feminists stressed the common humanity of men and women, not their differences in order to move toward what now could be called a gender-neutral society.”
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the historical context of the suffrage campaign and introduces the teaching profession as a primary case study for women's interwar labor experiences.
1. Definition of "equality and new feminism": Analyzes the ideological split between feminists advocating for equal opportunity and those emphasizing gender-specific roles and motherhood.
2. Feminist Organizations: Examines the fragmentation and diverse focus of feminist groups during the interwar years and the specific role of teacher associations.
3. Legislation or "a substitute for change": Evaluates how legislative reforms often served to reinforce domestic ideologies rather than empowering women in the workforce.
4. The NUSEC Executive Committee Split or the "Fall of the Feminist Empire": Discusses the internal conflicts within the NUSEC regarding birth control, family allowances, and protective legislation.
5. Negative Historical Assessments or "taking another view at the movement": Critiques traditional historical narratives that categorize the interwar feminist movement as a failure.
Keywords
New Feminism, Equality Feminism, British Feminism, Interwar Period, Women Teachers, Suffrage Movement, Marriage Bar, Professional Identity, Gender Roles, NUSEC, Motherhood, Social Legislation, Political Consciousness, Teacher Associations, Women's History.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work investigates the development of British feminism from 1900 to 1939, focusing on the intersection of professional life—specifically teaching—and political ideology.
What are the central themes of the book?
The central themes include the ideological conflict between equality and new feminism, the impact of the "marriage bar" on female employment, and the role of organizational activism.
What is the author's primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze the complexities of the interwar feminist movement and challenge the notion that it was a period of decline, particularly through the lens of women teachers' experiences.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The study relies on historical analysis, using archival data, interviews, historical committee reports, and contemporary feminist publications from the early 20th century.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers the definition of feminist schools of thought, the importance of feminist organizations, legislative attempts to regulate women's roles, and the historiography of the movement.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include New Feminism, Marriage Bar, Equality Feminism, Professional Motherhood, and interwar political activism.
How did the "marriage bar" affect teachers?
The marriage bar prohibited women from remaining in the teaching profession after marriage, forcing many to choose between career stability and personal family life.
Why is the legislative period of the 1920s considered problematic by some?
While some laws appeared to be victories, many feminists argued that legislation often reinforced the "cult of domesticity" and hindered broader structural changes for gender equality.
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- Iw Marinkovic (Autor:in), Hannes Alter (Autor:in), 2000, Feminism of Woman Teachers in the First Half of the 20th Century, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/19356
