Deborah, 

This may seem to be a bit on the margins of what you are interested in, but
maybe not:

I did my MA thesis at William and Mary (early 80s) by applying
archaeological theories about stylistic drift to 20th century "Pin-up Art."
I developed a "huskiness ratio," pulled out my calipers,  and measured
thousands of legs in thousands of pieces of pin-up art.  One of my findings
was  that when American women made their major breaks with the domestic
sphere (right to vote, equal opportunity rights in the workplace ) that
there were accompanying jolts to the gradual rounding or "plumping" of the
idealized female form.  Picture a "well-rounded" Marilyn Monroe then Twiggy
or a flat chested flapper. You might say that when the traditional male
sphere became threatened, they responded by making their ideal woman,
smaller, thinner, less rounded, and more adolescent in body form)  

I mention this only because these images decorated  many aspects of material
culture (calendars to match book covers to industrial sized cans) - almost
entirely in a male sphere, and were definitely linked to "patriotism" (per
your mention of Cowan) via airplane nose art, wall art in recruitment
centers, leather jackets, etc.  They even used Betty Gable's posterior for
target practice!

It's a bit goofy, but something to think about.


Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba Archaeological Site
719 Tremont Street
Selma, AL 36701-5446
334/875-2529
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On 
> Behalf Of Rotman, Deborah L.
> Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 10:13 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Historical Archaeology of the Feminine Mystique
> 
> 
> Dear Colleagues in Historical Archaeology ~
> 
>  
> 
>             A few months back, we queried the group for 
> references pertaining to early 20th century domestic sites, 
> specifically Sears houses.  We wish to make that appeal again. 
> 
>             Also, we are curious to hear whether any of you 
> have studied the material and spatial correlates of "the 
> feminine mystique."  For those who may not know, this gender 
> ideology emerged in the 1920s and 1930s and, according to 
> Ruth Schwartz Cowan, women were viewed as "purely domestic 
> creatures, that the goal of each normal woman's life was the 
> acquisition of a husband, a family and a home, that women who 
> worked outside their homes did so only under duress or 
> because they were 'odd' (for which read 'ugly,' 'frustrated,' 
> 'compulsive,' or 'single) and that this state of affairs was 
> sanctioned by the tenets of religion, biology, psychology, 
> and patriotism" (Cowan 1976:148).  So it had strong parallels 
> to the cult of domesticity, but differed in some of the 
> prescriptive details.
> 
>  
> 
> Cowan, Ruth Schwartz
> 
> 1976     "Two washes in the morning and a bridge party at night:  The
> American housewife between the wars."  Women's Studies 3(2):147-172.
> 
>  
> 
>             I would appreciate any references you might be 
> willing to share!  Thank you!
> 
>  
> 
> Deborah L. Rotman, Ph.D., RPA
> 
> Assistant Professor
> 
> Department of Sociology and Anthropology
> 
> Purdue University
> 
> 700 W. State Street; 316 Stone Hall
> 
> West Lafayette IN  47907-2059
> 
> Phone (765) 494-4683
> 
> Fax (765) 496-1476
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
>