CLASS DESCRIPTION

Beginning with the invention of personal ads in the Georgian Period, in this lecture, Nichi Hodgson will explore how Western dating and courtship evolved in relation to women’s increasing rights throughout the 19th and 20th centuries up to the present day. It will examine the birth of personal adverts following the abolition of the Licensing Act of 1662 and their evolution; the role courtesy and letter-writing manuals played in giving relationship advice, firstly to men but then to women; how evolving transport and technologies increased opportunities for meeting people romantically, and the significance of certain pivotal moments in British history and how they expanded women’s romantic horizons. It will take care to include the often-overlooked history of LGBTQI meeting and dating, and explore the complexities around race and dating. It ends with assessing how dating apps came into being, considers what their legacy might be, and what the future of dating may look like. Students will come away from the session with a considered overview of the interplay of social mores and women’s rights in relation to courtship and dating, and a renewed perspective on what constitutes ‘modern’ dating rules and rituals when we take a longer historical view of its origins.

ABOUT OUR LECTURER

Nichi Hodgson is an author, broadcaster and journalist, specialising in feminism and women's rights, technology ethics, and mental health issues. She is the author of two books, Bound To You (Hodder), and The Curious History of DatingL From Jane Austen to Tinder (Constable), and regularly comments across TV and Radio on these topics. She is the creator of the Substack Psychotopia.

INSTAGRAM: @nichihodgson

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This is a recording of a live session hosted by The Feminist Lecture Program in January 2026. The reading list for the class can be found alongside this rental.

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