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Murphy, Abigail (2021) The impact of British public opinion on women’s relationships with American GIs in Gloucestershire 1942-1946. Masters thesis, University of Gloucestershire. doi:10.46289/HT45PL22
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Text (Final thesis)
10429_A_Murphy_(2021)_The_impact_of_British_public_opinion_on_women’s_relationships_with_American_GIs_in_Gloucestershire_1942-1946.pdf - Accepted Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (900kB) | Preview |
Abstract
The main focus of this study is to determine the impact of public opinion on women’s relationships with American GIs in Gloucestershire 1942-1946. This involves understanding the scope of the relationships that were had and how race determined the way women who fraternised with US troops were portrayed to the public. Its primary aim is to provide new understanding of a subject that is under researched in Gloucestershire. Much attention has been given to the presence and impact of American soldiers in the Britain during the Second World War. However, no study has directly focused on Gloucestershire. This thesis also aims to understand if public opinion regarding women’s relationships with American soldiers impacted their sexual agency. Two main methods are used, the textual analysis of primary sources and the use of oral history accounts. The research reveals that sexual relationships with American soldiers added to the existing apprehension that surrounded female sexuality. Many local women had relationships with American soldiers, which aggravated some members of the public and the local authorities, especially if the soldier was black. Young working-class girls and women were particularly singled out for their immoral behaviour towards the US troops. The research also reveals that women in Gloucestershire expressed indifference and defiance towards the often-disapproving public opinion and control mechanisms implemented to influence the sexual agency of women. This thesis contributes to women’s history in Gloucestershire, uncovering a period of the county’s history that until now has not been researched.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) | |||||||||
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| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Gloucestershire women; American servicemen; World war II; Public opinion | |||||||||
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform | |||||||||
| Divisions: | Schools and Research Institutes > School of Creatives | |||||||||
| Depositing User: | Susan Turner | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 03 Dec 2021 10:57 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 31 Aug 2023 08:54 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/10429 |
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