Abstract
Within the historiography of fin de siècle social, sexual, and political change, the Scottish experience has received limited scholarly attention. Yet, outwith the cultural centres of London was a vibrant and active network of feminists and socialists, with both national and international connections, whose lives have, until now, been marginalised within the wider historical narrative. Set against this distinctive sociocultural and religious backdrop, key figures within Scotland's radical elite are the central focus of Tanya Cheadle's monograph Sexual Progressives: Reimagining Intimacy in Scotland, 1800–1914. These influential figures transformed the cultural climate of Scotland and beyond, with the goal of redefining sex and striving for ‘a new more “authentic” sexual morality’ (p. 2). Utilising extensive archival sources – from personal letters to publications – Cheadle traces the lives of key sexually progressive Scots in delightful biographic detail. Situating them within the wider context of transnational sociosexual change and examining the interactions between private and public, Cheadle amplifies the distinctiveness and influence of Scottish sexual progressivism in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 223-225 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Innes Review |
Volume | 72 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 30 Nov 2021 |
Keywords
- gender
- sexuality
- history
- scotland