The Business of Women
Marriage, Family, and Entrepreneurship in British Columbia, 1901-51
- Publisher
- UBC Press
- Initial publish date
- Jan 2011
- Subjects
- Women's Studies, Post-Confederation (1867-), Entrepreneurship, Gender Studies
- Categories
- About British Columbia
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9780774859448
- Publish Date
- Jan 2011
- List Price
- $125.00
Library Ordering Options
Description
Throughout history, Western women have inhabited a conceptual space divorced from the world of business. But women have always engaged in business. Who were these women, and how were they able to justify their work outside the home? The Business of Women explores the world of those women who embraced British Columbia’s frontier ethos in the early twentieth-century. In this detailed examination of case studies and quantitative sources, Buddle reveals that, contrary to expectation, the typical businesswoman was not unmarried or particularly rebellious, but a woman reconciling her entrepreneurship with her identity as a wife, mother, or widow. This groundbreaking study not only incorporates women into the history of business, it challenges commonly held beliefs about women, business, and the marriage between the two.
About the author
Contributor Notes
Melanie Buddle teaches history and works as an academic advisor at Trent University.
Editorial Reviews
…Buddle offers rich insights into the characteristics of female self-employment during this period, and lays the groundwork for future explorations of gender and business in Canada…this important book is thus recommended reading for those interested in the history of gender, labour, business, and British Columbia.
BC Studies, Winter 2011
Librarian Reviews
The Business of Women: Marriage, Family, and Entrepreneurship in British Columbia, 1901- 51
This scholarly analysis is an in-depth study into the prominence of female entrepreneurship in BC. Bundle challenges commonly held beliefs about female entrepreneurs and marriage. Encouraging readers to rethink the history of women in business, Bundle raises questions of gender, family and business. She delves into occupational sex grouping and sex segregation, and the pivotal role of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. Case studies and prominent businesswomen’s roles ranged from merchants, prospectors and farmers to running and managing hotels, boarding houses, restaurants and traplines.Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. BC Books for BC Schools. 2010-2011.