Equivocal 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.