Women have been consistently excluded from all manner of clubs and associations over the years, whether as the direct result of an anti-woman policy or indirectly through prohibitive entry requirements, social constraints, or conflict of interests and tastes. Retaliation from women has taken two directions: some women have set up their own exclusive clubs that reflect their own interests and aims, while others have taken on the men and striven to break down resistance to their joining ‘men’s’ clubs on an equal footing. This book traces the development of the current situation, drawing from a wide range of sources, some of which have never been published before. Looking at the different types of clubs and associations that include women and girls from the WI to the Girl Guides, this book is a rich social history full of fascinating observations and stories, and will be absorbing reading for anyone interested in sociology, women’s history or the transformation of Britain’s social life.

Modern freemasonry was invented in London about 1717, but was only one of a surge of British associations in the early modern era which had originated before the English Revolution. By 1800, thousands of clubs and societies had swept the country. Recruiting widely from the urban affluent classes, mainly amongst men, they traditionally involved heavy drinking, feasting, singing, and gambling. They ranged from political, religious and scientific societies, artistic and literary clubs, to sporting societies, bee keeping, and birdfancying clubs, and a myriad of other associations.

This dictionary is the first attempt to identify systematically the large heterogeneous group of women's organisations that grew up from the early 19th century up to the beginning of the modern women's movement, from women abolitionists and Chartists through Social workers, nurses, suffragists and sexual reformers to women pilots, journalists and cricketers. The work brings together over 500 separate entities on a wide variety of societies, associations, clubs, unions and other professional, social and political bodies organised by women or for men.

Women’s Amateur Theatre in Rural Britain is the first book-length study of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes’ amateur drama groups, which served as an umbrella organisation for women’s amateur drama. This work addresses a key historical gap by covering the activities, lives, and labour of women in rural England, Wales, and Scotland. It challenges gender-based assumptions about the value of women’s amateur theatre, highlighting the need for leisure opportunities and social connections in rural villages. The rapid expansion of women’s amateur drama groups is assessed in conjunction with major developments of the period, including the effect of post-1918 reconstruction efforts in rural regions, the revaluation of informal adult education schemes, the law’s influences and restrictions on amateur performances, and the impact of the Second World War on the ability of the Women’s Institutes to carve out a space for all-women’s drama groups that empowered women through education and skill-building programmes to aid in personal and community development. The broad scope of this research will appeal to undergraduates, postgraduates, scholars, and non-specialists interested in cultural history and the lives of rural women after the First World War.

In this unique encyclopedia, 120 leading scholars from around the world provide comprehensive treatment of the role of women in war, from the first written history to the present. This authoritative encyclopedia presents the work of leading scholars from all over the world to give the first detailed coverage of the role of women in wars throughout history. Histories of war are typically histories of men: great leaders and heroic fighters. Yet the roles of women often receive only limited coverage. Except for such notables as Joan of Arc, traditional histories give short shrift to women as leaders and fighters. Similarly, the direct victimization—particularly sexual abuse as a weapon of terror and domination—and cultural dislocations women suffer in war float as background, without detailed coverage. This work represents a first, devoted in its entirety to thorough examination of all aspects of women in war. For the first time, readers have a single source for information on the scope of women's role in war, and war's effects on them.

For nearly 40 years Torkildsen’s Sport and Leisure Management has been the most comprehensive and engaging introduction to sport and leisure management available to students at all levels. Now in its seventh edition, it is still the only textbook that covers all the key topics taught within contemporary sport and leisure management courses. This new edition includes expanded coverage of the practical managerial skills that students must develop if aiming for a career in the sport and leisure industry, from planning and managing people to marketing, entrepreneurship, and the law. It includes four completely new chapters on the global sport and leisure economy, historical development, cross-sector collaboration, and management consultancy, reflecting important developments in contemporary sport and leisure. This edition retains the hallmark strengths of previous editions, including in-depth discussion of the social and cultural context of sport and leisure; full analysis of the public, private, and voluntary sectors; and a review of key products and services. Richly illustrated throughout with up-to-date evidence, data, case-studies, and international examples, each chapter also contains a range of useful pedagogical features, such as discussion questions, practical tasks, and structured guides to further reading and resources. This is an important resource for students working in fields such as sport management, sport business, sport development, leisure management, and events management. Dedicated online resources offer additional teaching and learning material for students and lecturers.

"132 short histories of organisations, grouped in thirteen sections"--Introduction.

This classic textbook provides comprehensive coverage of key topics taught within sport and leisure management courses today. It provides an insightful and engaging introduction, featuring analysis of managerial ideas and issues required by students aiming for a career in this expanding industry.

This major new reference work provides an authoritative and wide-ranging guide to archive sources now becoming available for British political history since 1945. With a user-friendly layout, the book presents a comprehensive range of 1,500 personal papers from leading statesmen, backbench politicians, writers, campaigners, diplomats and generals which cover the key aspects of British history since of the end of the Second World War. Compiled by an experienced archivist, this comprehensive, easy-to-use and authoritative guide is an invaluable resource for researchers of modern British history.