History 2181A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Josephine Butler, Margaret Sanger, Contagious Diseases Acts
20 Dec 2017
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Lecture 6: causes of urban middle class reformers continued - prostitution and venereal disease. Final exam: non-cumulative on friday december 15 from 7 - 9 pm. Prostitution was a leading societal problem - social reformers were generally white middle class. Larger social problem related to the commodi cation of sex - bought/sold in the new entertainment industry (large urban centres - burgeoning and thriving entertainment and amusement culture - turning into an industry - dance halls, theatres, nickledodeans) Social reformers believed new entertainment industry was promoting the commodi cation of sex and women bodies - related to prostitution. Problem in 19th century was that perception was that prostitution was increasing - reality was that it likely wasn"t - it"s just that it was more visible. Social reformers, police, and state weren"t concerned with what was causing prostitution (poverty, lack of opportunities/human rights for women, industrial revolution)
