
Save the Womanhood!: Vice, urban immorality and social control in Liverpool, c. 1900-1976 (Hardback)
Samantha Caslin (author)
£85.00
Hardback
248 Pages /
Published: 16/04/2018
- We can order this from the publisher
Save the Womanhood is a fascinating new history about promiscuity, prostitution and the efforts of local social purists to 'save' working-class women from themselves.
The book examines how the work of the Liverpool Vigilance Association was supplemented by others, such as the Women Police Patrols, the Liverpool House of Help and the local branch of the Catholic Women's League. It argues that though these organizations helped many lost and stranded women, their work also enacted a form of moral surveillance on the streets. As such, the book uncovers how important twentieth-century anxieties about changing sexual practices, female immigration, white slavery and the rise of new consumer cultures played out at local level and with what consequences for women in Liverpool.
The book also brings together a wide range of local and national sources to show that when female-run, local organizations concerned about immorality went into decline in the post-war years, it was because official institutions and local law enforcement had increasingly taken up their cause. Consequently, Save the Womanhood argues that young, working-class women who travelled through Liverpool in search of work and adventure continued to arouse moral anxiety even as the city's social purists battled to maintain their influence.
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
ISBN: 9781786941251
Number of pages: 248
Dimensions: 239 x 163 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Reviews
'A fascinating book with rich, insightful material.'
Dr Charlotte Wildman, University of Manchester
'This is a very well-written, focused and insightful analysis.'
Helen Glew, Cercles
Dr Charlotte Wildman, University of Manchester
'This is a very well-written, focused and insightful analysis.'
Helen Glew, Cercles
You may also be interested in...
Please sign in to write a review
Sign In / Register
Not registered? CREATE AN ACCOUNTCREATE A plus ACCOUNT
Sign In
Download the Waterstones App
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
Click & Collect
Please note that owing to current COVID-19 restrictions, some of our shops are closed. Find out more by clicking here.
Thank you for your reservation
Your order is now being processed and we have sent a confirmation email to you at
When will my order be ready to collect?
Following the initial email, you will be contacted by the shop to confirm that your item is available for collection.
Call us on or send us an email at
Unfortunately there has been a problem with your order
Please try again or alternatively you can contact your chosen shop on or send us an email at