The politics of the doorstep : female survival strategies and the legacy of the miners’ strike 1984–85.

Abstract

This paper considers the legacy of continuing activism of women in the North East of England who organized in support of the 1984-85 miners' strike. It refers to the traditional responsibility of women in mining localities for the maintenance of neighbourhood and kin relations and using the example of a key activist in one ex-mining village, it argues that the values associated with 'mining community' remain relevant as a reference point for a self-conscious, politicized reshaping of local relationships in post-industrial conditions. The material basis for this self-conscious approach has shifted from the masculine sphere of mining work and its associated community institutions to the feminized sphere of location and neighbourhood.