Building Society and Governing Intimacy: Gender, Law, and Constructions of Sexuality and Courtship in Late-Nineteenth Century British Columbia

This thesis examines Victorian concepts of courtship, masculinity, and femininity in late- nineteenth century British Columbia as they were constructed, perpetuated, and understood through legal trials involving seduction and abortion. With a focus on the capital city of Victoria and the interior Kootenay region, this thesis argues that case files, press reports, and associated political and legal texts allow scholars to gain a better understanding of Victorian ideologies, especially when contextualized within the moral and physical geographies of British Columbia. By paying greater attention to the discourses of gender and sexuality and how they intertwined with changing concepts of governance in late-Victorian British Columbian society, we can have a more in-depth understanding of the province’s regional history. The conclusions of this thesis point to the need for more social histories of nineteenth-century British Columbia in order to better understand the province’s (re)making as a settler society and culture.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Lutes, Laura Anne

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2014 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, research, scholarship, and teaching. Theses may only be shared by linking to Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be used without proper attribution to the author. No part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2014-10542

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/39353