A Domestic Affair: Women In American Higher Education Between The 19th And 21st Century

This thesis entails a historical comparative analysis of the three feminist waves, based on a historical literary analysis, and is exemplified by three case studies that illustrate each specific time period. The historical analysis and the case studies are then compared in order to evaluate historical changes and developments. Through this, the following research question is answered, ‘What does a historical comparative analysis of four women between the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries show with regard to the effects of changing domesticity values on the roles of women in American higher education?’ The women chosen for the case studies both diverged from, and conformed to social rules in their time period, thereby illustrating which rules exactly were in place. Therefore, the effects that these expectations had on women in higher education are illustrated as well. The term domesticity that is used in this thesis is derived from the Cult of Domesticity that was present in the 18th...Show moreThis thesis entails a historical comparative analysis of the three feminist waves, based on a historical literary analysis, and is exemplified by three case studies that illustrate each specific time period. The historical analysis and the case studies are then compared in order to evaluate historical changes and developments. Through this, the following research question is answered, ‘What does a historical comparative analysis of four women between the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries show with regard to the effects of changing domesticity values on the roles of women in American higher education?’ The women chosen for the case studies both diverged from, and conformed to social rules in their time period, thereby illustrating which rules exactly were in place. Therefore, the effects that these expectations had on women in higher education are illustrated as well. The term domesticity that is used in this thesis is derived from the Cult of Domesticity that was present in the 18th and 19th centuries, prohibiting women from entering the public sphere in any way. The effects that domesticity had on women in higher education is evaluated through mechanisms of femininity and masculinity, the ‘duality of education’ by Anderson-Faithful and Goodman, and the ‘feminist dilemma’ by Joan Scott. These themes show that domesticity has influenced women in higher education, and continues to do so, despite improvements in women’s social and legal rights.Show less

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A Domestic Affair: Women In American Higher Education Between The 19th And 21st Century