Jaymi-Lynn Butler
DARE Project: Early Children's Cookbooks as Didactic Tools: A Look at Evolving Girls' Education
Program(s) of Study: Creative Writing
Project Supervisor: Dr. Cheryl Cowdy
Anything to do with women's labour has historically been overlooked, and I wish to remedy this.
Project Description:
With a focus on late 19th and early 20th century children's cookbooks, I looked to see what other didactic principles they may have offered to their usually younger female audience. While education has been standardized and enforced for the most part, there was also an insistence of educating boys over that of young girls, and I wanted to see what tools were offered to supplement these girls in their schooling. I looked through numerous archives and came across a variety of texts to compare writing styles, social and moral guidelines, and just the overall nuance that is combining writing a children's book with writing a cookbook. The first will always have political and didactic implications, whereas the second is a snapshot of culture, and where they intersect is such a unique space that I adore being able to explore.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) - Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.