Women'S Activism in the Transatlantic Consumers' Leagues, 1885 1920

Flore Janssen

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Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Edinburgh University Press
01 August 2025

Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Social & cultural history; Gender studies: women; Pressure groups & lobbying; Consumer protection law

Series: Nineteenth-Century and Neo-Victorian Cultures

Ethical consumption and consumer choice are at the heart of public debates today, but consumer activism has a long history. At the end of the nineteenth century, groups of women activists in different countries weaponised their reputation as consumers to mount campaigns against labour exploitation. By the early twentieth century, they had built an international network of Consumers' Leagues that influenced public opinion and achieved legislative change. Analysing the campaign writing of women activists, including both well-known and recently rediscovered historical figures, Flore Janssen provides new insights into the campaigns that underpinned important developments in the rights of workers and the social position of women. Highlighting the social, economic and political influence of women as activists, this book discusses campaign strategies, but also draws attention to problematic politics within these campaigns. Through its critically contextualised analysis of this specific consumer movement, the book reveals the origins of many consumer campaign strategies that remain familiar today.

By: Flore Janssen
Imprint: Edinburgh University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781474497992
ISBN 10: 1474497993
Series: Nineteenth-Century and Neo-Victorian Cultures
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 01 August 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Flore Janssen is Assistant Professor in Comparative Literature at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She is co-editor, with Lisa C. Robertson, of the collection Margaret Harkness: Writing Social Engagement 1880 1921 (Manchester University Press, 2019) and editor of Margaret Harkness's 1921 novel A Curate's Promise (Shield Books, 2021). Her research interests include marginalisation, activism and archives and she has published widely on these topics.

Reviews for Women'S Activism in the Transatlantic Consumers' Leagues, 1885 1920

Today, when fast fashion and food miles are prominent topics of public concern, Flore Janssen's book about early campaigns for ethical shopping strikes a timely note. This is a compelling study of turn-of-the-century women's activism which offers rich material for comparison with the consumer politics of the present time.--Rachel Bowlby, University College London