Women of the Upper Class

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments The person who has been most intimately involved in the preparation of the final draft of this book is the series editor, Ronnie Steinberg. Her warm support, wisdom, and force of intellect have greatly improved this work. I am immensely grateful to her. Michael Ames at Temple University Press also deserves a special thanks for his willingness to take a chance on a new author and an unfinished work. Bill Domhoff has been a consistent and strong supporter of my work since we met on a professional panel several years ago. He edited the draft that led to a publication contract, and he never doubted that this book would become a reality. His ongoing attention , interest, and advice are the stuff of which young scholars are made. I thank Bill for his continued support and encouragement. Several others read an earlier draft of the manuscript and made critically important suggestions for its improvement. Though they did not always agree on what the final version should look like, they all urged me to press on. Carol Brown, Roslyn Feldberg, and Nona Glazer gave me the kind of close and detailed comments an author needs to bring a work to fruition. I thank Nona especially ix Copyrighted Material for referring me to the work of Dorothy Smith. Paula Raymon put in a good word at the right time. My colleague Mary Jane Cramer called my attention to Gidden's concept of meaning. Arlene Daniels swooped in on several occasions when my spirits were flagging and brought me back up. She sent me a thoughtful critique, and she urged me to seek the advice of others. Perhaps most important, she shared with me drafts of her own work. Jessie Bernard appeared when I was at a particularly low point. Her reading of the manuscript and her fresh encouragement were a genuine turning point for which I am most appreciative. In the earliest stages of the study, I enjoyed the guidance and unwavering support of my professors Irwin Deutscher, Marie Haug, and Jetse Sprey. They were my first advisors, without whom the work would have never begun. I was fortunate that all of the people who typed the several drafts did so much more than type. Peg McCarthy, Sandy Ennis, Maureen DeVito, and Juanita Nicholson, were genuine colleagues. They raised questions and made suggestions that led to a better book. I am grateful for their patience, their speed, and their level of interest and encouragement, which went far beyond what was required . Finally, I wish to thank the women who allowed me to interview them for this study. Without them, there would be no book. x Acknow[edgmliiopyrighted Material Susan A . Ostrander Tufts University Medford, MA June 1983 Women ofthe Upper Class Copyrighted Material Copyrighted Material ...