Hansen challenges conventional notions that women were largely relegated to a private realm and men to a public one. A third dimension--the social sphere--existed alongside them, and proved a critical meeting ground for both. The rare collection of original sources provides a foundation to posit a groundbreaking argument and provide an intimate glimpse into antebellum New England life.
University of California Press, 1994
REVIEWS
“Fascinating book.” Women’s Review of Books
“Delightfully fresh rendering of daily life in mid-19th-century New England. Armed with a full command of the historical literature and an impressive capacity to read primary documents with care and intelligence, she offers a deft evocation of the clamorous, busy, and yet highly personalized sociability of this lost world.” American Journal of Sociology
“Richly textured account.” Contemporary Sociology
“In the long term, provoking scholars to rethink widely accepted concepts may be Hansen's major contribution.” New England Quarterly