Exploring changes in gender divisions and gender identities in Britain since the Second World War, this book situates the issues in their economic and political context. It assesses theoretical developments in the sociological study of gender, provides an overview of empirical research on gender in modern Britain, and locates the British experience in its global position.

Feminist social movements of the 1960s and 70s demanded radical change and an end to women's oppression. They aimed their demands at the state, thereby recognising that the state had the power to change policies. Twenty-five years later, it seems that everything and nothing has changed. Women now make up half the workforce of advanced capitalist societies but they still do the bulk of the cleaning, washing and cooking at home. So have feminist social movements been effective in bringing about change? Has their engagement with the state led to changes in social policies? Have they made any...