In a 4-5 page typewritten essay, consider the following question. Use specific citations from the course readings to support your critical examination of the topic. Include at least 5 specific references from at least 4 different course readings in your discussion. A specific reference to a course reading means that you will use a quotation from the readings (noting author, and page number of source) in your paper.
In her article Educating Women in America, Schwager reviews the contributions of historians in understanding the role of women in education during the 19th Century and first half of the 20th Century. Among other issues, she argues that teaching as a career allowed women to develop political skills, and a collective identity that helped them to organize for other causes, including equal pay (Schwager, p. 348). Discuss how the feminization of teaching, if at all, changed womens role in society and whether it contributed to the development of feminist ideas. In your answer, you must consider the increasing importance of co-education and the different perspectives on educating girls and boys in society during these historical periods.