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Social Science Women's Studies

The Business of Women

Marriage, Family, and Entrepreneurship in British Columbia, 1901-51

by (author) Melanie Buddle

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Jan 2011
Category
Women's Studies, Post-Confederation (1867-), Entrepreneurship, Gender Studies
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780774859448
    Publish Date
    Jan 2011
    List Price
    $125.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774818148
    Publish Date
    Jan 2011
    List Price
    $32.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774818131
    Publish Date
    Apr 2010
    List Price
    $95.00

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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.