Throughout the nineteenth century, the majority of children in Ontario received at least part of their education from the Sunday school. Much of this institution's success can be attributed to the dedication and commitment of its unpaid workforce. Sunday school teachers were expected to be virtuous, nurturing, moral and dutiful, and it is not surprising that this community of volunteers was made up almost entirely of women. Women's active participation in the Sunday school combined with its popularity made this religious and educational institution an important avenue in the (re)production of gender ideologies in nineteenth-century Ontario.
This thesis examines how women Sunday school teachers were involved in establishing their own gender identity by consciously accepting and rejecting ideals of womanhood. It argues that the roles, responsibilities, experiences and opportunities that women had in the Sunday school community allowed them to define their own model of evangelical womanhood. Women reinforced this new ideal to their pupils, but their influence extended beyond their classrooms. They authored and distributed literature found in libraries, participated in conventions with diverse crowds and established important networks of Christian women who campaigned for women's rights within and outside of the church.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/27798 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Kmiec, Patricia |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 96 p. |
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