Cricket Case

To What extent were popular past times influenced by gender ideology, and did this change over the course of the nineteenth century

Cricket:

Male victorians glorified cricket as a perfect system of ethics and morals which embodied all that was most noble in male Anglo-Saxon character.

They prized it as a national masculine symbol, for they believed it was an exclusively English creation unsullied by Oriental or European Influences.

In an xenophobic age, Victorian males came to regard cricket as further proof of their cultural supremacy.

It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of Cricket in Victorian lfe- it was a ritual as well as recreation, a manly spiritual as well as a sporting experience.

Its values and its language came to be freely used by male politicians, philosophers, preachers and poets.

The true heroes of the game such as WG Grace were the embodiment of everything masculine, long flowing beard, burly body, and strong arms.

Womens cricket these days is a highly

Womens participation in cricket, by the end of the 19th century was next to none, and organised matches were in no way a genteel affair- yes they did participate, but it was on the fringe of social society and not taken seriously.

Gentlemans Clubs:

Nineteenth century was the age of Gentlemens clubs, each with its own building resembling a stately mansion where gentleman smoked, drank, ate, read, and discussed their opinions.

GCs were ultimately a second home for members, escaping their sometimes troubled home life for some male company.

The 19th century brought an explosion in the popularity in the clubs, articulately around 1880s. This expansion can be explained part by the large extensions of the franchise in the reform acts of 1832, 1867 and 1886.

Each time, hundreds of thousands more men were qualified to vote, and it was common for them to feel that they had been elevated to the status of a gentlemen- thus they sought out a club.

Women also set about establishing their won clubs in the late nineteenth century such as the ladies institute and

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