Making Respectable Women

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Examining the evolving concept of 'respectability,' this book highlights how the criteria for judging women's status in the UK have transformed over the last 150 years. It argues that respectability has shifted from personal and domestic behaviors to women's participation in citizenship, particularly in paid work. This change raises critical social and political issues, including the undervaluation of traditional care roles, the assumption that paid employment is inherently empowering, and the normalization of sexualized standards of female appearance.