Shaping Policy Without the Vote: Women’s Clubs and the Rise of American Kindergartens
with Francesco Ferlenga
Can social movement impact public policy without political representation? The second half of the 19th century marked the beginning of the cultural, economic, and political emancipation of women in the US, first emerging in the main cultural centers of the country. This paper sheds light on the pre-voting-right diffusion of female emancipation. First, we show how the migration of educated women from the main cultural capitals of the country spread new ideas and the first form of non-religious female organization, the women’s club. The establishment of such clubs was facilitated by the extension of economic rights to women. Second, we show how this economic power and organizational capacity—even in the absence of voting rights—allowed women to increase their political influence, fostering the creation of the first American kindergartens.
with Francesco Ferlenga
Can social movement impact public policy without political representation? The second half of the 19th century marked the beginning of the cultural, economic, and political emancipation of women in the US, first emerging in the main cultural centers of the country. This paper sheds light on the pre-voting-right diffusion of female emancipation. First, we show how the migration of educated women from the main cultural capitals of the country spread new ideas and the first form of non-religious female organization, the women’s club. The establishment of such clubs was facilitated by the extension of economic rights to women. Second, we show how this economic power and organizational capacity—even in the absence of voting rights—allowed women to increase their political influence, fostering the creation of the first American kindergartens.