Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

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Feminism and history

The history of feminism comprises the narratives (chronological or thematic) of the movements and ideologies which have aimed at equal rights for women. While feminists around the world have differed in causes, goals, and intentions depending on time, culture, and country, most Western feminist historians assert that all movements that work to obtain women's rights should be considered feminist movements, even when they did not (or do not) apply the term to themselves.

4 episodes

Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:

CultureHistoryPhilosophyBurials at Westminster Abbey17th-century English poets19th-century atheistsVictorian novelists17th-century English dramatists and playwrights17th-century English writers19th-century English novelistsEnglish atheistsEnglish travel writersEnglish women poetsFrench women philosophers19th-century English women writersEnglish feminist writers, English feministsEnglish women novelists17th-century English philosophers18th-century English writersEnglish abolitionistsEnglish writers with disabilitiesPseudonymous women writers18th-century British philosophers18th-century English non-fiction writers18th-century pseudonymous writers19th-century British economists19th-century English philosophersBritish women essayistsEnglish UnitariansEnglish educational theoristsEnglish historical novelistsEnglish suffragistsEnglish women activistsEnglish women non-fiction writersEnglish women philosophersVictorian women writersWriters from Norwich14th-century Italian philosophers15th-century Italian philosophers17th-century English educators17th-century English women writers17th-century pseudonymous writers18th-century English philosophers18th-century English women writers19th-century English historians19th-century English short story writersBritish atheism activistsBritish scientists with disabilitiesBritish women's rights activistsEnglish people of French descentEnglish rhetoriciansEnglish spiesEnglish women dramatists and playwrightsFeminist studies scholarsPositivistsRhetoriciansTory poets

  1. Aphra Behn

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of Aphra Behn, known for her plays for the Restoration stage such as The Rover and for her novel Oroonoko.

    12 October 2017

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    Featuring: Janet Todd, Ros Ballaster, Claire Bowditch

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    CultureEnglish feminist writers, English feministsEnglish women novelists17th-century English women writers17th-century English poetsEnglish women dramatists and playwrightsTory poetsFeminism and historyEnglish women poets17th-century English dramatists and playwrights17th-century English writersEnglish spiesBurials at Westminster Abbey17th century18th century

  2. Christine de Pizan

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Christine de Pizan (c1364-1430) who, according to Simone de Beauvoir, was the first woman to 'take up her pen in defence of her sex'.

    8 June 2017

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    Featuring: Helen Swift, Miranda Griffin, Marilynn Desmond

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    Culture14th-century Italian philosophersRhetoricians15th-century Italian philosophersFeminism and historyFrench women philosophers14th century15th century

  3. Harriet Martineau

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Harriet Martineau who wrote extensively in the C19th on a wide range of subjects including abolition, and is called the mother of sociology.

    8 December 2016

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    Featuring: Valerie Sanders, Karen O'Brien, Ella Dzelzainis

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    History19th-century English women writersEnglish women novelists19th-century English philosophers19th-century English historians19th-century English novelistsBritish women essayistsFeminism and historyEnglish women philosophers19th-century British economists19th-century atheistsVictorian novelists19th-century English short story writersBritish atheism activistsEnglish abolitionistsEnglish UnitariansEnglish people of French descentEnglish writers with disabilitiesBritish scientists with disabilitiesEnglish atheistsPositivistsVictorian women writersWriters from NorwichEnglish historical novelistsEnglish travel writersEnglish suffragists19th centuryEconomics

  4. Mary Astell

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher Mary Astell (1666 – 1731) who has been described as "the first English feminist".

    5 November 2020

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    Featuring: Hannah Dawson, Mark Goldie, Teresa Bejan

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    PhilosophyFeminist studies scholars17th-century English writers18th-century English women writers17th-century pseudonymous writersBritish women's rights activistsFeminism and history18th-century English philosophers18th-century British philosophersEnglish feminist writers, English feminists18th-century English non-fiction writersEnglish women non-fiction writersEnglish women activists18th-century English writers17th-century English women writersPseudonymous women writers17th-century English educatorsEnglish educational theorists18th-century pseudonymous writers17th-century English philosophersEnglish rhetoricians17th century18th century