Equivocal feminists
Subtitle: the Social Democratic Federation and the woman question, 1884-1911
By: Karen Hunt.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 296
Subjects: Social Democratic Federation -- History; Women and socialism -- Great Britain -- History; Women socialists -- Great Britain -- History; Feminism -- Great Britain -- History; Women in politics -- Great Britain -- History
Description: Equivocal feminists takes a new look at the relationship between socialism and feminism in the years before the First World War. The book presents a detailed examination of a neglected organisation - the Social Democratic Federation (SDF), Britain's first Marxist party. It reassesses the history of the SDF, exploring for the first time SDF ideas and practice on issues such as marriage and 'free love', women and work, and the suffrage.

It goes on to look at the party's attitudes to women as potential socialists, its understanding of women's politicisation, and the roles women took within the party. Dr Hunt shows how the SDF came to equivocate officially on the woman question and how this shaped what it meant to be a socialist woman in the following years.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 274-288) and index.