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Women's Rights and Wedding Bells

19th-Century Pro-Family Rhetoric and (Re)Enforcement of the Gender Status Quo

Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, madams2{at}tulane.edu

Researchers suggest that backlashes to feminism may appear in the form of pro-family campaigns. Social scientists have observed themes in the current pro-marriage movement to support this claim; others note historical cycles of pro-family backlash to feminism. This article is a sociohistorical analysis of texts from a leading organized advocate of 19th-century pro-family reform that examines emergent rhetorical themes illustrative of a backlash to women's rights. I draw on critical feminist theory to suggest that these strategic rhetorical themes were used to stimulate 19th-century women's ambivalence about family and independence. I also briefly engage gender social movement's literature and research on current pro-family campaigns to point out similarities between the backlash rhetorical strategies of the historical and current movements. In accord with previous feminist scholarship, this study is important in "making visible" the often hidden antifeminist bias in pro-family rhetoric.

Key Words: feminism • family • pro-family movement • feminist backlash • marriage movement

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