The education of women for citizenship: the National Federation of Women's Institutes and the British Federation of Business and Professional Women 1930-1959

TY - JOUR

T1 - The education of women for citizenship

T2 - the National Federation of Women's Institutes and the British Federation of Business and Professional Women 1930-1959

AU - Perriton, Linda

PY - 2009/1

Y1 - 2009/1

N2 - This article focuses on how citizenship education was built into the organisational practices as well as the formal instructional programmes of women's organisations in Britain in the pre- and post-Second World War period. It compares the efforts of two such organisations, the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) and the British Federation of Business and Professional Women (BFBPW), to train women in the skills of citizenship. Despite their differences in constituency and structure, these two organisations had remarkably similar views on citizenship education and shared similar educational approaches until the end of the 1950s. This article argues that the NFWI and BFBPW's understanding of political engagement and their efforts to educate the woman citizen are important historical examples of how women have negotiated issues of involved versus informed citizenry. The educational model they used is relevant today given the renewed interest in the strengthening of civic society as a key mechanism for political engagement.

AB - This article focuses on how citizenship education was built into the organisational practices as well as the formal instructional programmes of women's organisations in Britain in the pre- and post-Second World War period. It compares the efforts of two such organisations, the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) and the British Federation of Business and Professional Women (BFBPW), to train women in the skills of citizenship. Despite their differences in constituency and structure, these two organisations had remarkably similar views on citizenship education and shared similar educational approaches until the end of the 1950s. This article argues that the NFWI and BFBPW's understanding of political engagement and their efforts to educate the woman citizen are important historical examples of how women have negotiated issues of involved versus informed citizenry. The educational model they used is relevant today given the renewed interest in the strengthening of civic society as a key mechanism for political engagement.

KW - women's organisations

KW - citizenship education

KW - historical perspectives

KW - ASSOCIATION

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=57249090339&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/09540250802213156

DO - 10.1080/09540250802213156

M3 - Article

SN - 0954-0253

VL - 21

SP - 81

EP - 95

JO - Gender and Education

JF - Gender and Education

IS - 1

ER -