Bodies and Lives in Victorian England: Science, Sexuality, and the Affliction of Being Female

This book provides an overview of what it was like to be female and to live and die in Victorian England, by situating this experience within the scientific and social contexts of the times. It explores the experience of being female in the Victorian era for women across classes, analyzing how changing social ideals, cultural and environmental variability, shifting economies, and evolving medical and scientific understanding about the body combined to shape female health and identity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 146 pages
Publication date: 01 May 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume provides a vivid portrayal of what it was like to be a woman and navigate life in Victorian England (circa 1837–1901), by contextualizing this experience within the scientific and social milieus of the era. Spanning from childhood and youth to pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood, the book delves into the diverse experiences of women across different social classes. By drawing upon a wealth of osteological sources, medical discourses, literary examples, and social and environmental data derived from ethnographic and archival investigations, the authors explore the intricate tapestry of being a female in the Victorian era. Through a meticulous analysis of current research on demographic statistics, maternal morbidity and mortality, and bioarchaeological evidence on patterns of aging and death, they unravel how evolving social ideals, cultural variations, shifting economic landscapes, and advancing medical and scientific understandings of the body converged to shape the health and identity of women in the nineteenth century. Victorian women encountered a multitude of challenges, including evolving attitudes towards appropriate behavior, social roles, and beauty standards, while grappling with new insights into the profound impact of gender and sexuality on shaping their lives from youth to old age.

The book concludes by examining the enduring relevance of Victorian narratives of womanhood and the lived experiences of being female, as they continue to shape perceptions of female health and contribute to the cultural construction of identity in contemporary society.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367555313