Synopses & Reviews
"This new collection of essays examines the lives of older women in Britain from 1500 to the present and gives a fascinating insight into the lives of elderly women from a range of different social strata and different times. This latest book in the" Women and Men in History" series will break down some widely held assumptions revealing attitudes towards the aging process and challenging common beliefs and stereotypes. The book sheds light on the history of family relationships, welfare provision, changing female self-images and the structure of the family in pre-industrial, industrial and post-industrial Britain and, in doing so, the book can also modify our understanding of wider society. The essays draw on women's diaries, autobiographies, social surveys, mass observation and a fascinating variety of other sources. This an important book for anyone interested in sociology, history, social policy, gerontology or women's studies. Also available in Hardcover - 0-582-32901-9 $79.95Y
Synopsis
Women have always made up the majority of older people: this examination of the lives of elderly women in Britain in the period 1500 to the present reveals attitudes towards the ageing process. It sheds light on household structures as well as wider issues - including the history of the family, the process of industrialisation, the poor law, and welfare provision - and questions many common beliefs about elderly women, particularly that female old age was a time of poverty and want. An important book for students of history and sociology alike.