Errand of mercy : american women missionaries and philanthropists in the Near East, 1820-1930
Part of : Balkan studies : biannual publication of the Institute for Balkan Studies ; Vol.39, No.2, 1998, pages 223-262
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223-262
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The American Protestant educational and philanthropic work in the NearEast, 1820-1939, has been well documented in historiography. This articletakes up the critical, yet unexplored, role of American women whoparticipated in that unique cultural campaign. American women projectedthemselves as role models of female empowerment and status, although thisimage was marked by ironies. While attempting to educate and empowerChristian and Muslim women in the Near East, American mentors revealedand perpetuated their own circumscribed status within the U.S. society.However, in the long run, this cultural encounter allowed both sides torecognize the limitations imposed by their respective societies and to try tooverride them by stepping out into the public arena. They did so not throughradical solutions but, instead, by performing redefined and expanded tasks ofdomesticity. They succeeded in turning those tasks into professional roles thusopening the way for women in the Near East and the U.S. to claim moreassertive and influential public positions.
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