EVOLUTION OF THE IDEA OF WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION IN WESTERN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE OF THE LATE 18TH – EARLY 20TH CENTURIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17308/history/1995-5480/2026/1/30-36Keywords:
women's representation, “bluestockings”, the cult of true femininity, suff rage movement, “mothers of the nation”, political public discourseAbstract
Тhis paper examines the evolution of women's representation in the public sphere in Western countries from the late 18th to the early 20th century. Drawing on Jürgen Habermas's concept of the public sphere and Hanna Pitkin's idea of representation, this article explores how ideas about women's place and role in public space have changed. The author identifies key stages in this evolution: from the emergence of women's intellectual subjectivity in Enlightenment circles, through the conservative ideal of "true femininity" and women's participation in religious revivals, to political mobilization within the suffragette movement. Particular attention is paid to the contradictory interactions of women's agency with discursive forces such as the evangelical ideal and nation building projects. It is concluded that by the early 20th century, the principle of formal representation of women had become entrenched in public discourse, placing the struggle for substantive representation at the forefront of the narrative.
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