Representations of English women's interactions with animals 1600-1750

Freeman-Cuerden, Poppy (2022). Representations of English women's interactions with animals 1600-1750. University of Birmingham. M.A.

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Abstract

This thesis examines representations of lower and middling status women’s interactions with animals in England in the period 1600-1750. Ballads, instructional guides, and recipe books are used to discuss the varied representations of these interactions. Representation here is used to specifically refer to how these sources depict these women and their interactions with animals. A gendered approach is taken to establish whether and how representations of lower and middling status women’s interactions with animals were affected by the gender of the women depicted. The interactions examined here are women’s work with living animals, their work preparing dead animals and their products as an ingredient in food or medicine, and women’s emotional response, or lack thereof, to animals. Gender is found to be central to depictions of women’s work with living animals as well as to stereotypes around certain emotional responses to animals. Representations of women’s work with animals as an ingredient and other emotional responses are affected by gender in a more nuanced way if at all, with many of these interactions not depicted as affected by gender in these sources. This gendered lens reveals both the influence and the limits of gender on representations of women’s daily interactions with animals.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.A.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.A.

Supervisor(s):