{"product_id":"9780717164554","title":"A Social History of Women in Ireland, 1870-1970: An Exploration of the Changing Role and Status of Women in Irish Society","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Social History of Women in Ireland\u003c\/i\u003e is an important and overdue book that explores the role and status of women in Ireland from 1870 until 1970, looking at politics, sociology, marriage patterns, religion, education and work among other topics. It provides a vital missing piece in the jigsaw of modern Irish history.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing a combination of primary research and published works, \u003ci\u003eA Social History of Women in Ireland\u003c\/i\u003e explores the role and status of women in Ireland. It examines lifestyle options available to women during this period as well as providing an overview of the forces working for change within Irish society. In bringing together a wide-ranging portfolio of material, \u003ci\u003eA Social History of Women in Ireland 1870–1970\u003c\/i\u003e fills an important gap in the literature of the period by focusing on the experiences of Irish women, a group so often overlooked in histories of revolutionary men and prominent politicians.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCrucial to a determination of the status of women throughout this period is an examination of the choices available regarding work, marriage and emigration. Rosemary Cullen Owens stresses at all times the importance of class and land ownership as key determinants for women’s lives. A decrease in home industries allied to increasing mechanisation on the farm resulted in a contraction of labour opportunities for rural women. With the establishment of an independent farming class, the distinguishing criteria for status in rural Ireland became ownership of land, in which single-minded patriarchal figures dominated. In this context, the position of women declined, and a society evolved with a high pattern of late-age marriages, large numbers of unwed sons and daughters, and an accepted pattern of emigration. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the cities and towns, the condition of lower-working-class women was especially distressing for most of the period, with particular problems regarding housing, health and sanitation. Through the work of campaigning activists, equal educational and political rights were eventually attained. From the early 1900s there was some expansion in female employment in shops, offices and industry, but domestic service remained a high source of employment. For middle-class women, employment opportunities were limited and usually disappeared on marriage. The civil service — a major employer in an economy that was generally un-dynamic and stagnant — operated a bar on married women for much of the period. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRosemary Cullen Owens not merely traces these injustices but also the campaigns fought to right them. She locates these struggles in the wider social context in which they took place. This important book restores balance to the narrative of modern Irish history, changing the focus from key male political figures to society at large by unveiling the often forgotten story of the country’s women over a tumultuous century of change. In doing so, Rosemary Cullen Owens enriches our understanding of Irish history from 1870 to 1970.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Social History of Women in Ireland\u003c\/i\u003e: Table of Contents\u003col\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 1. Irishwomen in the Nineteenth Century\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cli\u003e ‘A progressively widening set of objectives’—The Early Women’s Movement\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelopments in Female Education\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFaith and Philanthropy—Women and Religion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 2. A New Century—Action and Reaction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cli\u003eRadical Suffrage Campaign\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeminism and Nationalism \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePacifism, Militarism and Republicanism\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 3. Marriage, Motherhood and Work\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe Social and Economic Role of Women in Post-Famine Ireland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrade Unions and Irish Women\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWomen and Work\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 4. Women in the New Irish State\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe Quest for Equal Citizenship 1922–1938\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Politicisation of Women Mid-Twentieth Century\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eEpilogue: A Woman’s World?\u003c\/ol\u003e","brand":"Gill Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47125683863792,"sku":"9780717164554","price":16.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780717164554_p0.jpg?v=1763621783","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780717164554","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}