Linoleum, Better Babies, and the Modern Farm Woman, 1890-1930

by Marilyn Irvin Holt

The Progressive Era promoted a vision of America united by an emphasis on science and progressive reform. The zeal to modernize business, government and social relations extended to farm families and the ways women defined their roles. In this study of the expert advice offered by the domestic economy movement, Holt argues that women were not passive receptors of these views. Seeing their place in agriculture as multi-faceted and important, they eagerly accepted improved education and many modern appliances but often rejected suggestions conflicting with their own views of the rewards and values of farm life. Progressive reform inevitably left a mixed legacy; science and technology did not perfect rural society. But many programs such as 4-H and Master Homemaker still exist and are still shaped by women's desire to preserve and pass on the possibilities of rural life. Anyone seeking a better understanding of the role of women in agriculture will find this a rewarding book.