Storytelling in the Home, School, and Library, 1890-1920
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Date
2010-06
Authors
Gregor, Martha E.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
This thesis explores the intersection of artistry, professionalism, and maternalism
in the storytelling revival that occurred in the United States from 1890-1920, influencing
a variety of child-centered reform movements. Though storytelling was practiced by men
and women alike, it was portrayed as a maternal skill. However, storytelling's perceived
multiplicity of uses led it to be interpreted in diverse ways. Such interpretations--particularly
potent in the home, school, and library-displayed tensions inherent in the
public role of these institutions, particularly in their approach to "child-centeredness." In
the school, teachers embraced the nurturing potential of storytelling, arguing that it
allowed them to teach more effectively. In the library, however, such an approach was
rejected as antithetical to the efficient nature of the institution. The way these institutions
conceived of storytelling shows that nurturing imperatives, though pervasive in childcentered
reform in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, was not the only way
to conceive of child-centeredness.
Description
vi, 126 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Keywords
Storytelling -- United States -- History