Search results for "class ideology"

Eccentric Women? Gender and the Notion of Eccentricity

2012

British writers in the eighteenth century spent much time reflecting on the notion of normality, as the rising middle ranks promoted their ideology as a class, while defending the right of the individuals to their own personal choices. The period was also marked by scientific advances, and for this reason, it is not surprising that the term 'eccentric', originally restricted to astronomy, started to be used widely to refer to unconventional human behaviour. At first sight, eccentricity in the eighteenth century seems to be a male preserve, as the term is mostly applied to men famous for their wit and original thinking, such as Samuel Johnson or Lawrence Sterne. From this point of view, wome…