Gender and the Politics of Social Reform in France, 1870-1914 - Softcover

"Not the least of this volume's strengths is its evocation of a bygone historical era when family values sustained rather than undermined the welfare state... France may appear a laggard in the domain of social insurance, but in that of family policy it turns out to have been a pioneer. This is the larger argument that [the authors] make. In so doing, they explore a variety of thematic byways of considerable interest in their own right." -- American Historical Review

"A product of enthusiastic collaboration, this volume has more unity than most other collections... The authors present a convincing case for the importance of gender and depopulation to the rise of the welfare state. The essays are uniformly excellent and each can stand alone very well." -- Journal of Women's History

Traditional histories of the French Third Republic often overlook the extent to which concerns about the place of women and the health of the family influenced the course of government policy, particularly the direction of welfare reform. Combining the approaches of social and political history, Gender and the Politics of Social Reform in France, 1870-1914 offers a new perspective on women's lives in the Third Republic -- and on the emergence of the welfare state in general -- by looking at the attitudes, actions, and policies of the men who held political power.

Addressing themes in the newly invigorated field of welfare-state history, contributors to this volume offer evidence that social reform in France began far earlier than is usually supposed and was a response by republican politicians and social activists to a declining population growth rate. As this demographic crisis inspired efforts to improve maternal and child health and increase the birth rate, motherhood was redefined as a public mission deserving of public support. Even though the eventual reforms resulted in greater recognition of women's role in the proper functioning of society and provided for programs beneficial to infants, the legislation enacted by the men in power was decidedly patriarchal in its scope, treating women as children rather than equals. Contributors are Elinor Accampo, Linda L. Clark, Rachel G. Fuchs, Theresa McBride, Mary Lynn Stewart, and Judith F. Stone.

"This important and timely collection of essays is a valuable contribution to this reinvigorated scholarly field. The history of the welfare state has for too long been in the suffocating grip of specialists in institutional history with no vision of the wider historical setting, or has been regarded as an addendum to the history of labor organization and revolutionary socialism. This volume argues clearly and persuasively for a new orientation." -- Robert Nye, Oregon State University