Music and the Performance of Women's Culture in the South, 1840-1870
This study examines music in the context of the lives of women who lived in the South between 1840 and 1870. I will measure music as an "ideal" accomplishment and situate the "real" practice throughout the region, including a mix of rural and urban communities, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and economic status. The focus is predominantly on the antebellum period, but the effects of the Civil War on southern women's musical experiences will also be considered because they contrast in several significant ways, including repertory, work, and education. This research will demonstrate that previous explanations of women and music in the parlor do not account for the musical experiences of the majority of women. Through the study of a larger population that also considers geographical location, we can better understand broader issues of gender and social structure, interactions among social classes, and can more successfully interpret postbellum women's activities.
[Grant products]
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Project fields:
Music History and Criticism; U.S. History; Women's History
Program:
Awards for Faculty
Division:
Research Programs
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Totals:
$50,400 (approved) $50,400 (awarded)
Grant period:
7/1/2015 – 6/30/2016
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