I am hoping that this will clear up any and all questions about the topic of my thesis. I'm always surprised at how many people do not know what I'm talking about. The title is (drum roll please): Journeys Through Babel: Settlement Houses in the Progressive Era.
Sounds interesting, right? (Well, maybe not, but I think so!) Anyway, very simply, around the turn of the century (the last century, not the current turn of the century that we just experienced) there were these groups of women who were college-educated, but were frustrated by the limited number of careers that they were "allowed" to pursue. The culture of the time period pigeon-holed women into occupations such as teachers, which didn't allow for much variety. Women couldn't even vote nevermind choose their own profession.
These women saw a great need for their services in the innercities where many newly-arrived immigrants were living in squalor. So, patterning themselves after the settlement house movement in London, these women bought houses in the slums where they would live together and provide services and programs for the people among whom they lived. This could be anything from English lessons to dance classes. The most famous of these houses, Hull House, was bought and managed by Jane Addams in Chicago.
My thesis is concerned with the impact that the settlement houses had on the neighborhood and vice versa. I looked at all kinds of primary source information, but especially autobiographies. The whole thing turned out pretty well, and I got a good grade. The defense was a little scary, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to stretch their intellectual prowess. |
