The Rise of Public Woman: Woman's Power and Woman's Place in the United States, 1630-1970
In the early days of American history, Matthews argues, the idea of a "public" woman was necessarily associated with sexual impropriety. Women were politically invisible and economically restricted, and their public appearances were limited to narrowly prescribed times and places. Economic and cultural changes over three centuries have facilitated the expansion of public roles for women. Matthews summarizes and comments on existing research in this area and suggests future directions both for research and for progress. This useful overview is directed primarily to specialists in the history of women and should be acquired for women's studies collections.- Nancy C. Cridland, Indiana Univ. Libs., BloomingtonCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.