Abstract

As economic citizenship was a pre-condition of full citizenship, the lack of economic autonomy was an important motivation during the early stages of the women’s movement. Independent of their class background, women had less access to not only financial resources but also social and cultural capital, i.e., member’s commitment. Resources are therefore of particular interest from a gender perspective, and this book sheds light on the importance of resources for women’s struggles for political rights. Highlighting the financial strategies of the first wave of Swedish middle-class and socialist women’s movements and comparing them with similar organizations in Germany, England, and Canada, the authors show the importance of class, gender, age, and the national context, offering a valuable contribution to the discussion of resource mobilization theories in the context of social movements.

“This richly-documented volume raises questions of great interest to feminist historians and students of social movements. It employs a variety of sources that historians will appreciate and demonstrates a familiarity with the literature on social mobilization and on feminism that will appeal to sociologists and political scientists. It contributes to ongoing scholarly discussions and provides an important comparative perspective.”  ·  Michael Hanagan, Vassar College

Pernilla Jonsson is Associate Professor in economic history and is currently working at The Swedish National Audit Office. She has been a researcher at the Department of Economic History at Uppsala University, Sweden. Her research deals with the influence of resources, financial strategies, and international networks on organizing and goal achievements in the first-wave women’s movement. She has also published on gender and the social reproduction of Swedish elites, as well as industrialization and marketing in 19th-century Sweden.

Silke Neunsinger is Associate Professor in economic history and Coordinator of Research at the Labour Movement Archives and Library in Stockholm. She has been a researcher in the Department of Economic History, the Centre for Feminist research, and the Department of History at Uppsala University, Sweden. Her research deals with women’s right in the labor market, women in international and transnational social movements, and the global history of consumer cooperatives. She has also worked and published on methodological issues and comparative history.