Talk:Jane Addams/Draft

Video

http://www.loc.gov/locvideo/womenact/  —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 16:11, 20 August 2007 (CDT)

New article of the week

Very nice work, Richard, of one of my heroes. I've nominated this for new article of the week.  —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 16:43, 20 August 2007 (CDT)

thaks! Richard Jensen 16:49, 20 August 2007 (CDT)

At the same time I just created John Adams, distant cousin? Yi Zhe Wu 21:25, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

Lesbianism

I was hoping someone else might raise this issue, but given that there is only 4 days till approval.... I think the following statement in the article is significantly overstated, stating things as concluded fact that can at best only be inferred based upon the evidence:

"Hull-House was lesbian-friendly space. Addams set the tone with her own long-term relationships, first with Starr and then Mary Rozet Smith."

Indeed, the source cited after this statement only allows for an inference, and one "depending on how one defines lesbian", which as I understand it did not have to involve sex. Moreover, from my reading of JA's correspondences, it has appeared to me as only something that could be inferred at best, and that the inferences are perhaps by eisegesis. The only thing really going on could have been intimate same-sex friendship, something not too many people understand or enjoy these days.

The Hull House Museum, in fact, has an exhibit under which this is written:

"Mary Rozet Smith was Jane Addams's life partner and one of the top financial supporters of Hull-House. Given the emotional intimacy that is expressed in their letters to one another, it is hypothesized that they were lesbians. It is, however, difficult to determine this for sure, particularly considering the differences in sexual attitudes of the Victorian era in which she lived and Jane Addams's own complex reflections on the ideals of platonic love."

I'd suggest verbiage along those lines, and perhaps a brief mention about "spinster" and "Boston Marriage". This will allow the reader to draw their own conclusion rather than holding back that information and concluding it for them.

This well summarizes that there is debate about the matter, and that confident assertions about the matter are unwarranted.

 —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 22:09, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

the article does NOT say that Addams was a lesbian. It says the Hull House created a lesbian friendly space (that's a close paraphrase of Hamington: Given the drastic shifts in sexual mores in the twentienth century, the contemporary understanding of what it means to be lesbian cannot straightforwardly be mapped onto the late and post Victorian eras, but it can be argued that Hull-House was lesbian-friendly space. Addams set the tone for this identification with her own long-term intimate relationships, first with Starr and then Mary Rozet Smith. he cites Brown.online edition. Richard Jensen 22:42, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

Richard, to me that text clearly shows that the text in the article is overstated. Perhaps you might seek a second opinion.  —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 22:45, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

The statement is a moderate one. Many historians call her a sexually lesbian, but the article does NOT say that. Eg "at Hull-House there are strong indications of lesbian relationships. Jane Addams herself..." (Phillips 1974); "Addams, the principal founder of the social work profession, was a lesbian." (Morrow & Messinger - 2006); "lesbian for those women who them- selves used it, or who had extended relations with women where there is a good indication of sexual contact, eg, Jane Addams: (Schwarz 1979); "the romantic-friendship tradition established by such leading American women as Jane Addams and M. Carey Thomas, two other types of lesbian groups arose" (MacPike, 1993); "Addams was able in the 1890s to exhibit market behavior which a cliometrician might take for clear evidence of lesbian “identity" (Cornwall, 1999); "Addams and Smith sat astride some shifting border between lesbian bonds" (Rupp 1997); "Lesbian Jane Addams founds Hull House" (Collins 2007); "Jane Addams as a Lesbian" (Faderman 1999); "the settlement houses were famous for creating opporunities for lesbian relationships" (Abbott & Farmer 1995), "the special relationship (lesbian by today's standards) of Addams and Smith, see Stebner" (Seigfried 2002); "similar to Addams, Hart was a closet lesbian" (Bullough 2002). Richard Jensen 23:25, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

Right, most of those represent one side of the debate. To be specific, by stating declaratively and without reference to the varied factors that ought go into interpreting Addams in this regard (as Hamington and the museum exhibit verbiage both do) that "Hull-House was lesbian-friendly space," followed immediately by "Addams set the tone with her own long-term relationships, first with Starr and then Mary Rozet Smith," the effect of the wording also overstates the case with both Addams and HH. The wording seems to side with one side. Let me suggest the following wording for a starting point:

"Some historian have argued that Hull-House was lesbian-friendly space and that Addams was herself a lesbian,[several cites] although the contemporary understanding of what it means to be "lesbian" cannot straightforwardly be mapped onto the late and post Victorian eras. Addams long-term relationships, first with Starr and then Mary Rozet Smith, and her many reflections on the ideals of platonic love, set the tone for many relationships within Hull House"[cite Hamington].

 —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 23:53, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

Saying "some historians" is highly misleading, as it suggests there are two sides to the issue. To my knowledge not a single historian denies Hull House was lesbian friendly, nor that Addams set the example. Richard Jensen 00:06, 6 September 2007 (CDT)

Okay, point taken about "some historians". But what is most misleading--and this is my core contention--is throwing in the term "lesbian" without modifying it as Hamington does: "Given the drastic shifts in sexual mores in the twentienth century, the contemporary understanding of what it means to be lesbian cannot straightforwardly be mapped onto the late and post Victorian eras".  —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 00:20, 6 September 2007 (CDT)

times have changes and people are no longer squeemish about terms like "lesbian". The article only describes her PUBLIC behavior, not her private bedroom behavior. Richard Jensen 00:26, 6 September 2007 (CDT)

Image talk

(moved from above; -RWK)

Also, the initial image, before it was lightened and reduced, appeared far more clear on my LCD screen.  —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 22:28, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

I agree that the current image is awful. Where's the original? --Robert W King 22:38, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

I have it on my harddrive. I'll email it to you.  —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 22:41, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

the original image was terrible on my screen--no details--so I changed the contrast. Richard Jensen 22:42, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

I'll fix it up. --Robert W King 22:43, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

What was wrong with the original? --Robert W King 23:12, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

The first image was too dark by far. Richard Jensen 23:26, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

Ok.--Robert W King 23:27, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

Richard, what kind of screen are you using, CPT, LCD?  —Stephen Ewen (Talk) 23:55, 5 September 2007 (CDT)

CPT? I was not aware I had to salute my displays! --Robert W King 00:13, 6 September 2007 (CDT)

LOL - I meant CRT.  —Stephen Ewen (Talk)

Approval

(Feel free to move this to the Approval subpage, I just wanted to make sure people saw it.) I see there's a notice on the article page that says the entire cluster is being nominated for approval. First, it was my understanding that, due to logistical headaches of anything else, we would always be nominating entire clusters for approval. Second, I'd like to point out that this cluster is not yet ready for prime time, for the simple reason that the definitions on Jane Addams/Related Articles aren't filled out. I'd say, either don't use the {{r}} template at all, or fill out the definitions; don't simply leave it alone. I'm sure we can agree that saying we've approved totally incomplete work like that is, frankly, ludicrous. --Larry Sanger 23:39, 5 September 2007 (CDT)