I've not posted here before, but Scott Haine's inquiry about
gender, drink, and violence interested me.  I'm in the research stage of a
major project on women, gender, and temperance in the early
national/antebellum United States.  I've been focusing on the popular
culture of temperance so far (published tracts, sermons, addresses,
almanacs, etc.), and it strikes me that notions of female victimization by
male drunkards begin to solidify around 1830.
The image of drunken husbands beating wives and children becomes a staple
of descriptions of the drunkard's home, and shows up in many more places
than before.  I'm still in the early stages of this, but is seems that this
development -- the identification of female victimization as a central
aspect of the liquor problem -- is linked to the articulation of gender
roles and the emerging cult of domesticity during the first half of the
19th century.  But this raises many questions:  how does female drinking
fit in; what about class differences; how does this relate to larger
discussions of male violence against women, and so on.  Anyone have any
thoughts on this?  References to any particularly good sources, either
primary or secondary, would also be appreciated.
 
        On another front, I'm planning a graduate seminar on alcohol and
drug policy in US history for the Policy History program at Bowling Green,
where I teach.  I'd be grateful for any suggestions for readings or syllabi
of similar courses.  Thanks in advance.
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Scott C. Martin                 |
Assistant Professor, History    |
Bowling Green State University  |
Bowling Green, OH  44865        |
419/372-8201 office             |
419/687-8368 home               |
419/372-7208 fax                |
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