In this Book
- Sisters in the Faith: Shaker Women and Equality of the Sexes
- Book
- 2011
- Published by: University of Massachusetts Press
summary
In 1788, following the death of charismatic founder Mother Ann Lee, the celibate religious group known as the Shakers set out to institutionalize equality of the sexes in their theology, government, and daily practice. In this book, Glendyne Wergland evaluates how well they succeeded in that mission by examining the experiences of women within Shaker communities over more than a century.
Drawing on an extensive archive of primary documents, Wergland discusses topics ranging from girlhood, health, and dress to why women joined the Shakers and how they were viewed by those outside their community. She analyzes the division of labor between men and women, showing that there was considerable cooperation and reciprocity in carrying out most tasks-from food production to laundering to gathering firewood-even as gendered conflicts remained.
In her conclusion, Wergland draws together all of these threads to show that Shaker communities achieved a remarkable degree of gender equality at a time when women elsewhere still suffered under the legal and social strictures of the traditional patriarchal order. In so doing, she argues, the experience of Shaker women served as a model for promoting women's rights in American political culture.
Drawing on an extensive archive of primary documents, Wergland discusses topics ranging from girlhood, health, and dress to why women joined the Shakers and how they were viewed by those outside their community. She analyzes the division of labor between men and women, showing that there was considerable cooperation and reciprocity in carrying out most tasks-from food production to laundering to gathering firewood-even as gendered conflicts remained.
In her conclusion, Wergland draws together all of these threads to show that Shaker communities achieved a remarkable degree of gender equality at a time when women elsewhere still suffered under the legal and social strictures of the traditional patriarchal order. In so doing, she argues, the experience of Shaker women served as a model for promoting women's rights in American political culture.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-x
- Shaker Terminology
- pp. xiii-xiv
- Introduction
- pp. 1-10
- Part 1: Joining the Shakers
- 1. Ann Lee
- pp. 13-28
- 4. Shaker Girlhood
- pp. 56-72
- 5. Chastity and the Shaker Cap
- pp. 73-84
- Part 2: Work and Worship
- 7. Work, Reciprocity, Equality, and Union
- pp. 102-113
- 8. Gendered Conflict among the Shakers
- pp. 114-127
- Conclusions on Shaker Equality of the Sexes
- pp. 161-174
- Image Plates
- pp. 229-248
Additional Information
ISBN
9781613760536
Related ISBN(s)
9781558498624, 9781558498631
MARC Record
OCLC
768288565
Pages
264
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No