NYU Press Becoming a Woman: And Other Essays in 19th and 20th Century Feminist History

Product Description Spanning two decades of research and writing, this volume presents the influential and insightful work of Sally Alexander, one of Britain's most reputed feminist historians. Whether analyzing women's factory work, the emergence of the Victorian women's movement, or women's voices during the Spanish civil war, or charting the lives of women in the inter-war years, Alexander's accounts are original and thoughtful. Moving from a discussion of class and sexual difference to a reading of subjectivity informed by psychoanalysis, Alexander exposes the relationship between memory, history, and the unconscious. Her focus ranges from a descriptive rendering of the 1970's Nightcleaners campaign to a more exploratory account of becoming a woman in 1920's and 30's London. Becoming A Woman offers up a fascinating exploration of important historical moments and of the process of writing feminist history. Review "Missing Bodies focuses our attention on what is not there, and thus brilliantly illuminates just what is! This is a creative, thoughtful, exciting book, a fine contribution to the growing literature on the sociology of the body."-Barbara Katz Rothman, author of "Recreating Motherhood" "Shows the structural and symbolic processes underlying bodily erasure and exposure; a major accomplishment."---Nelly Oudshoorn, author of "The Male Pill""As a commentary on the consequences of neoliberalism, a critique of contemporary Western culture, and a recovery effort o fthe unseen, Missing Bodies is a provocative and thought provoking work that situates our understandings of the bodies that are seen and obscured in new light." -Erin L. Pullen, Sociology of Health and Illness"Overall the book opened my eyes to the experiences of the missing and what they mean for the rest of us who are visible and can do something about giving them a voice. It also makes me ask more questions about other missing bodies not mentioned, which, I believe, is the fundamental intent of the book."-PsycCritiques,"This book is written in a vivid style, endowed with a straightforward and pleasant way of expressing the authors' engaged analysis."-Claire Beaudevin, "Social Anthropology" About the Author Sally Alexander is a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London and a founding editor of History Workshop Journal.