Description
Book SynopsisIn the popular imagination, American women during the time between the end of World War II and the 1960s - the era of the so-called ‘feminine mystique’ - were ultraconservative and passive. This takes a fresh look at these women, showing them actively searching for their place in the world while engaging with the larger intellectual and political movements of the times.
Trade Review“An insightful exploration of how college women in the 1940s and 1950s struggled to reconcile their intellectual and sexual drives with the gender constraints of that era. Beautifully researched.”
-- Stephanie Coontz * author of A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique *
“This original and fascinating study provides an intimate glimpse into the minds, emotions, hopes, and decisions of 1940s and 1950s college women. Faehmel skillfully shows how young women adhered to and challenged dominant gender norms . . . a lively read!” -- Susan Hartman * author of The Other Feminists: Activists in the Liberal Establishment *
"Faehmel challenges Betty Friedan's famous description of young women from liberal arts colleges as dupable consumers who made little use of their education. Faehmel's prose is lively, and her summation of an era that is often ignored in accounts of women's history makes this into a useful book for college classrooms. Undergraduates are particularly likely to connect with the diarists as they ruminate about identity, sexuality, and the life ahead of them. Recommended." * Choice *
"An important contribution to the literature on the history of women's higher education."
* Journal of American History *
“An insightful exploration of how college women in the 1940s and 1950s struggled to reconcile their intellectual and sexual drives with the gender constraints of that era. Beautifully researched.”
-- Stephanie Coontz * author of A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique *
“This original and fascinating study provides an intimate glimpse into the minds, emotions, hopes, and decisions of 1940s and 1950s college women. Faehmel skillfully shows how young women adhered to and challenged dominant gender norms . . . a lively read!” -- Susan Hartman * author of The Other Feminists: Activists in the Liberal Establishment *
"Faehmel challenges Betty Friedan's famous description of young women from liberal arts colleges as dupable consumers who made little use of their education. Faehmel's prose is lively, and her summation of an era that is often ignored in accounts of women's history makes this into a useful book for college classrooms. Undergraduates are particularly likely to connect with the diarists as they ruminate about identity, sexuality, and the life ahead of them. Recommended." * Choice *
"An important contribution to the literature on the history of women's higher education."
* Journal of American History *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
1. Campus Life in Times of Crisis: "Greasy Grinds," "Coeds," and the Limits of Diversity
2. "But Dad!": Campus Life and Critical Thinking
3. Not Part of the Crowd: Career-Oriented College Women Write about Their Goals, Identity, and Significant Others
4. Individualism and Sexuality: Why Not to Conform
5. College Women and the Clash of Mystiques
Conclusion
Student Diaries and Letters Consulted
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
