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Histories of American geography have tended to concentrate on geographic thought and on the men who have been seen as major figures in research. In contrast, I examine the careers of women geographers and of professional practices in American geography in the 20th century. My approach reflects thinking in feminist studies and the social studies of science, which acknowledge the existence of multiple histories and the importance of paying attention to contexts. Before 1950, values linking prestige and masculinity resulted in the exclusion of women geographers from university professorships though they found opportunities in teacher education and outside academia. In the post-World War II era, even as higher education expanded rapidly, women's representation in the profession declined substantially, influenced by the social climate that promoted women's domesticity and priorities for recruiting men. Academic practices and the consciousness of the few women graduate students reflected this gendered culture. Whether women geographers have valued particular aspects of their work and created distinctive knowledge pose questions for further exploration. A brief look at the practices and meanings of field education over the century suggests that such experience has been important to women, even when attempts have been made to exclude their participation. There are also indications that women geographers disproportionately bring social concerns to the discipline. The paper calls for reflection on the implications of our histories for the profession's future, especially for graduate education.
Histories of American geography have tended to concentrate on geographic thought and on the men who have been seen as major figures in research. In contrast, I examine the careers of women geographers and of professional practices in American geography in the 20th century. My approach reflects thinking in feminist studies and the social studies of science, which acknowledge the existence of multiple histories and the importance of paying attention to contexts. Before 1950, values linking prestige and masculinity resulted in the exclusion of women geographers from university professorships though they found opportunities in teacher education and outside academia. In the post-World War II era, even as higher education expanded rapidly, women's representation in the profession declined substantially, influenced by the social climate that promoted women's domesticity and priorities for recruiting men. Academic practices and the consciousness of the few women graduate students reflected this gendered culture. Whether women geographers have valued particular aspects of their work and created distinctive knowledge pose questions for further exploration. A brief look at the practices and meanings of field education over the century suggests that such experience has been important to women, even when attempts have been made to exclude their participation. There are also indications that women geographers disproportionately bring social concerns to the discipline. The paper calls for reflection on the implications of our histories for the profession's future, especially for graduate education.
ABSTRACT. For much of the twentieth century, women in the United States found it difficult to obtain university positions in geography. Opportunities existed in other types of institutions, however, including the American Geographical Society (ags). This article addresses ways in which the Society's mission intersected with its historical context from 1895 to 1970 to create niches for women in editorial and library work. It explores the women's origins, their perspectives and experiences with the ags, and the significance of their contributions to the discipline. It suggests the potential of a gendered social approach for enriching understanding of the histories of geographical institutions.
In the early 1870s, instead of writing a story, drawing a picture, or composing a poem, William Henry Bailey made a hand-drawn map for his ailing mother. Despite its lack of beauty, its contents betray its unique and poignant intent: the map shows Hillsborough, NC, as it might have appeared in 1839, when Priscilla Bailey was a young wife and mother, surrounded by friends and social activities. Decades later, when Priscilla was living far from all that and recovering from a bad fall, her son created his map, with its narrative explanation of every detail, to comfort his mother by reminding her of happier days and treasured connections. Why did Bailey - a lawyer with no particular expertise in drafting, surveying, or drawing - decide to make a map to stir healing memories in his mother? The answer may lie in an evocative cartographic culture among elite Southern women of her generation. Educated to use maps, engaged daily with graphic information in their sewing and needlework patterns, and frequently separated from kin and other loved ones, these women turned to the cartographic form with familiarity and an expectation of solace. They used geographic vocabularies and metaphors to express their sense of isolation and their need for connection, even as gender norms and physical realities limited their travel and restricted them to their homes. In this article, the practice and implications of this emotional cartographic culture are explored through the examples of two women, Priscilla Bailey and Ellen Mordecai; this exploration is intended to demonstrate the value of a manuscript-based, biographical approach to the history of domestic map use.
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