ABSTRACT
Throughout the nineteenth century, women’s lives were restricted – psychologically, socially, physically, sexually, intellectually, economically, and politically (see “Conventional Differences Between Man and Woman”). In this section, we have selected writings by women who criticized the social-psychological restrictions on women’s lives, such as socialization, fashion, public opinion, education, language and culture. Strong-minded women argued that women were socially and economically educated into dependency, passivity, and sexual inequality, and they urged women to cultivate self-respect and independence.
