Gender, Mediation and Popular Education in Venice, 1760-1830

Gender, Mediation, and Popular Education in Venice, 1760–1830 explores how women with cultural capital used their identity as representatives of the public to establish themselves as published authors in the nineteenth century. It re-evaluates the impact of their writing and raises questions about female authorship across Europe, broadening our conceptions of gender norms and enriching our knowledge of a little-known period of womens writing in Italy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 19 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Gender, Mediation, and Popular Education in Venice, 1760–1830, delves into the intriguing dynamics of gender, mediation, and popular education in the vibrant city of Venice during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Authored by Susan Dalton, this book explores how women with sufficient cultural capital could leverage their identity as representatives of the public, those on the receiving end of education, to their advantage. By employing essentialist notions of femininity, which portrayed women as possessing superior moral virtue but lacking rationality, these women ventured into the realm of print as cultural mediators. Recognized by contemporaries as vital figures in the social projects of public education and moral edification that were central to the European Enlightenment, these women played a significant role in shaping the cultural landscape of Venice.

In the chapter, Dalton focuses on two renowned Venetian authors, Isabella Teotochi Albrizzi and Giustina Renier Michiel, introducing them to English-speaking scholars. Through a re-evaluation of their writing's impact in Italy and a consideration of their contributions to the field of women's writing across Europe, Dalton broadens our understanding of gender norms and sheds light on a lesser-known period of women's literary production in Italy.

This volume serves as a valuable resource for students and scholars alike who are interested in the study of women's and gender history, early modern history, and social and cultural history. It provides a rich and comprehensive exploration of the complex interplay between gender, mediation, and popular education in a historical context that continues to resonate today.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032190969