Spinsters and Lesbians

Independent Womanhood in the United States

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Gender Studies, Women&
Cover of the book Spinsters and Lesbians by Trisha Franzen, NYU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Trisha Franzen ISBN: 9780814728116
Publisher: NYU Press Publication: January 1, 1996
Imprint: NYU Press Language: English
Author: Trisha Franzen
ISBN: 9780814728116
Publisher: NYU Press
Publication: January 1, 1996
Imprint: NYU Press
Language: English

Americans have long held fast to a rigid definition of womanhood, revolving around husband, home, and children. Women who rebelled against this definition and carved out independent lives for themselves have often been rendered invisible in U.S. history.In this unusual comparative study, Trisha Franzen brings to light the remarkable lives of two generations of autonomous women: Progressive Era spinsters and mid-twentieth century lesbians. While both groups of women followed similar paths to independence--separating from their families, pursuing education, finding work, and creating woman-centered communities--they faced different material and cultural challenge and came to claim very different identities. Many of the turn-of-the-century women were prominent during their time, from internationally recognized classicist Edith Hamilton through two early Directors of the Women's Bureau, Mary Anderson and Freida Miller. Maturing during the time of a broad and powerful women's movement, they were among that era's new women, the often-single women who were viewed as in the vanguard of women's struggle for equality.
In contrast, never-married women after World War II, especially lesbians, were considered beyond the pale of real womanhood. Before the women's and gay/lesbian liberation movements, they had no positive contemporary images of alternative lives for women. Highlighting the similarities and differences between women-oriented women confronting changing gender and sexuality systems, Spinsters and Lesbians thus traces a continuum among women who constructed lives outside institutionalized heterosexuality.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Americans have long held fast to a rigid definition of womanhood, revolving around husband, home, and children. Women who rebelled against this definition and carved out independent lives for themselves have often been rendered invisible in U.S. history.In this unusual comparative study, Trisha Franzen brings to light the remarkable lives of two generations of autonomous women: Progressive Era spinsters and mid-twentieth century lesbians. While both groups of women followed similar paths to independence--separating from their families, pursuing education, finding work, and creating woman-centered communities--they faced different material and cultural challenge and came to claim very different identities. Many of the turn-of-the-century women were prominent during their time, from internationally recognized classicist Edith Hamilton through two early Directors of the Women's Bureau, Mary Anderson and Freida Miller. Maturing during the time of a broad and powerful women's movement, they were among that era's new women, the often-single women who were viewed as in the vanguard of women's struggle for equality.
In contrast, never-married women after World War II, especially lesbians, were considered beyond the pale of real womanhood. Before the women's and gay/lesbian liberation movements, they had no positive contemporary images of alternative lives for women. Highlighting the similarities and differences between women-oriented women confronting changing gender and sexuality systems, Spinsters and Lesbians thus traces a continuum among women who constructed lives outside institutionalized heterosexuality.

More books from NYU Press

Cover of the book Meth Wars by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Discretionary Justice by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Treating Victims of Torture and Violence by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Moving Working Families Forward by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book The Disability Pendulum by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book General Richard Montgomery and the American Revolution by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Children and Youth during the Civil War Era by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Crip Times by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Raising Brooklyn by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Frederick Law Olmstead by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Neoconservative Politics and the Supreme Court by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book They Left Great Marks on Me by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Democratizing Inequalities by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Body Panic by Trisha Franzen
Cover of the book Modern Theories of Art 2 by Trisha Franzen
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy