Table Of ContentEquivocal 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 politicisa-
tion, 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.
Through this fascinating examination of the links and antagonisms
between the feminist and socialist movements, Dr Hunt not only
reclaims the history of a forgotten group of socialist women, but also
sheds new light on the perennial debate about the comparative
significance of sex and class in defining political identity.
Equivocal feminists
Equivocal feminists
The Social Democratic Federation and the
woman question 1884-1911
Karen Hunt
= CAMBRIDGE
5) UNIVERSITY PRESS
Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
The Pict Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RP
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia
© Cambridge University Press 1996
First published 1996
Printed in Great Britain at the University Press, Cambridge
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress cataloguing in publication data
Hunt, Karen.
Equivocal feminists: the Social Democratic Federation and the
woman question, 1884-1911 / Karen Hunt.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0 521 55451 9 (hardcover)
1. Women and socialism — Great Britain — History. 2. Women
socialists - Great Britain — History. 3. Feminism — Great Britain —
History. 4. Women in politics — Great Britain — History. 5. Social
Democratic Federation — History. I. Title.
HQ1597.H85 1996
305.42'0941 —dc20 95-22984 CIP
ISBN 0 521 55451 9 hardback
CE
To Sonja and Holman Hunt
Contents
Acknowledgements page xii
Introduction
The stereotype of the SDF
Part1 The woman question: the theory
1 The contribution of the founding fathers
The reception of ‘The Origin of the Family’ and ‘Woman and Socialism’ in
the British socialist movement
2 The SDPF’s understanding of the woman question
The sex/class analogy
Woman’s oppression as a sex
Sexual equality
Nature or nurture?
Feminism
Strategic implications of the woman question
3 Understanding the SDF and the woman question
The paradoxical Mr Bax
Clara Zetkin, the International and internationalism
A comparative case: race
Part2 The SDF and the woman question: the theory and
practice of the party on aspects of the woman question
4 The politics of the private sphere
Socialism and the family
Marriage and ‘free love’
The Lanchester Case
Beyond the Lanchester Case: the SDF’s response to ‘free love’ as a public
issue
The Bedborough Case
The Potteries and ‘free love’
Wells and the Fabian Basis
x Contents
The politics of the private sphere: the SDF, family, marriage and
‘free love’ 115
5 Women and work 118
Women’s work as an issue for the SDF 118
Protective legislation 124
Equal pay 128
Wages boards and minimum wage legislation 130
Trade unions 132
The endowment of motherhood: an alternative means to economic
independence 137
Women and unemployment: a woman’s right to work 142
6 The suffrage 152
The years before the militants (1884-1905) 153
The polarisation of positions: limited women’s suffrage versus adult
suffrage (1905-1907) 159
Adult suffrage as a socialist demand (1907-1911) 170
The suffrage and the woman question 182
Part 3 Women and the SDF: the practical implications of
the SDF’s understanding of the woman question 185
7 The SDF’s attitude to women as potential socialists 187
Women as a problem for socialism 187
Socialism as a problem for women: barriers to participation 191
The SDF’s understanding of women’s politicisation 197
8 Women SDFers and their role in the party 204
9 The organisation of women within the SDF 217
Women’s right to self-organisation: the debate 217
SDF women’s organisation before 1904 220
Rochdale women’s section 221
The Women’s Socialist Circles (1904-11) 226
The development of the Circles 229
The function of the Circles 231
The organisational relationship between the Circles and the party 235
Northampton Women’s Circle 241
The practical implications of the SDF’s understanding of the woman 247
question
Conclusion 251
Appendices
A comparison between women on the Executives of the SDF and the ILP 259
A comparison between women delegates at SDF and ILP Annual
Conferences 260
Contents
A graph of the number of local Women’s Socialist Circles, 1904-11
SDP Women’s Education Committee syllabus of subjects for discussion,
1910-11
Short biographies of key figures
Bibliography 274
Index 289
Acknowledgements
This book has been a long time in the making. I therefore want to thank
those who have helped and encouraged me to complete this project.
I hope it is no longer too obvious that Eguivocal Feminists is based on a
PhD thesis. David Howell was its supervisor and has over the years
provided support and encouragement. His wealth of information on the
labour movement, past and present, and his own enthusiasm have been
a spur to the development of my ideas. Jane Rendall was a very positive
external examiner and has been both helpful and kind in the journey to
publication. In 1990, my PhD won the Sir Ernest Barker Prize, awarded
by the Political Studies Association, and this boosted my confidence
when I was working outside higher education. I should like to thank all
those involved.
Many friends and colleagues have played their part in bringing this
book to fruition — even the scepticism of some has proved a challenge! In
particular, I should like to thank Pat Ayers, Andy Davies, Alan Fowler,
June Hannam, David Howell, Nev Kirk, Laura Mitchell, Jane Rendall
and Mike Rose. Pat deserves especial thanks for sharing a room with me
at Manchester Metropolitan University and much else besides.
I cannot imagine Eguivocal Feminists existing without the women’s
movement. Over the lengthy gestation of this book the Manchester
women’s movement has taken different forms as has my involvement in
it. Despite many ups and downs I know that without the women’s
movement I would have had no context and, just as importantly, little of
the necessary challenge and support to develop this work. I should like
to thank all my friends who have been part of the Manchester Women’s
History Group over the years; the women I worked with to promote
women’s education in Manchester during the 1980s; those at the WEA
who supported me and my work when I was women’s education tutor
organiser; the team who fought successfully to put Women’s Studies on
the map at Manchester Metropolitan University; and, finally, all those
women who make the Women’s History Network a stimulating and
important forum. Without the interminable meetings, the arguments
xii
Acknowledgements xiii
and the laughs I might have finished this book some years ago but it
would not have been the same.
Finally, I should like to thank the Hunt family for all their support
over the years. Indeed, I dedicate Equivocal Feminists to my parents,
Sonja and Holman Hunt, who have not only continued to be interested
in their wayward daughter’s opus but are already asking after the next
book.
As all connoisseurs of feminist books will know it has become essential
to acknowledge the role of the cat in one’s life, so thanks to Mega and
TC for all the distractions they provided. But most of all, there are two
people without whom I would not have been able to complete this work.
Their support has been fundamental. They have both read and discussed
Equivocal Feminists in all its stages and have given me a great gift — their
time. Ann Hughes has been, and is, a generous friend. Colin Divall’s
love and confidence in me has been crucial. I would especially like to
thank them both.
