Old Yankee Women: Life Histories and Cultural Significance
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ABSTRACT Title of Document: OLD YANKEE WOMEN: LIFE HISTORIES AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Judith Church Tydings, Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Directed By: Professor John L. Caughey, Department of American Studies Responding to the notion that old age is like a foreign country, this study explores a small portion of this understudied terrain by examining the lives of eight old New England women (four primary subjects and four supplemental participants). In keeping with current ethnographic and life history practice, this cultural study of these American women in late life uses a journey format with the researcher engaged in exploration along with the other project participants. After a comprehensive review of the various literatures on aging women, this study provides detailed cultural portraits of the project participants who ranged in age from 60 to 92 when their participation in this ten year study began. By a close reading of their writings, by in depth life history conversations, and by participant observation, including living with each participant for a brief period of time, this study illuminates how these women in old age see themselves, the choices they have made or resisted in late life and what gives their lives meaning. This study is intended to illustrate the usefulness of the person centered life history method as a lens through which to examine the complex ways in which women negotiate aging. Old age, as this study shows, is experienced quite differently by each of these individual women; the old are far from a homogenous group. Even within this small group of white New England women of similar class backgrounds, many factors differentiate their experiences. One key factor has to do with their different cultural meaning systems. Using a “cultural traditions” model in conjunction with contemporary life history methods and ethnographic participant observation techniques, and informed by nascent age studies perspectives, this research examines how and to what extent the old age experiences of these women are affected and influenced by the particular cultural orientations of key cultural traditions these New England women bring with them into old age and how the aging process affects the ways they work with these traditions. OLD YANKEE WOMEN: LIFE HISTORIES AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE by Judith Church Tydings Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2010 Advisory Committee: Professor John L. Caughey, Chair Professor Judith N. Freidenberg Professor Myron O. Lounsbury Professor Saundra Murray Nettles Professor Judith H. Paterson © Copyright by Judith Church Tydings 2010 DEDICATION To my companion of more than 51 years John Elmer Tydings . that best portion of a good man’s life, His little, nameless, unremembered, acts of kindness and of love. William Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey To my children Christopher Ashley Tydings Jessica Tydings Mannarino Jeffrey Mills Tydings and Michael David Tydings (1961-2005) He came, he made us laugh, he left. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people helped to make this academic journey possible. John Elmer Tydings, my husband, says he doesn’t recall now how we stepped around piles of my papers on the floor as I worked on my M.A. thesis in 1959 more than fifty years ago. He does recall the recent piles, the field trips, the phone calls and book orders that have been part of our lives for the last decade. He agrees with Mary Azarian’s judgment that I am a “determined” woman, committed to pursuing this expedition to its conclusion, but it would have been decidedly more difficult without John’s encouragement, understanding, friendship, even temperament, patience, love, and frequent cooking. My hat’s off to him. I thank my children, their spouses, and my grandchildren for their understanding. “Tydings’ Camp” was not open in summer as often as it was in earlier years. So I thank: Christopher Ashley Tydings, Jessica Tydings Mannarino, Jeffrey Mills Tydings, Wendy Gilson, Marie Tydings, James Mannarino, Kathleen Chrisman Tydings, John, Stephen, Daniel, Kathryn and Lauren Tydings; Krystal, Michael David II, Jonathan, and Brandon Tydings; Joseph, Michael and Kathleen Mannarino; and David and Matthew Tydings. At the University of Maryland College Park my dissertation committee members: Dr. John L. Caughey, Chair, Dr. Judith N. Freidenberg, Dean’s Representative, Dr. Myron O. Lounsbury, Dr. Saundra Murray Nettles, and Dr. Judith H. Paterson challenged and supported me in unique ways and I am grateful. Dr. Caughey, my program advisor and dissertation chair, introduced me to life history and to the significance of cultural orientations. His work on cultural traditions changed how I look at my life. He encouraged me through difficult times and offered genuine friendship. I was indeed fortunate to cross his path. Dr. Paterson, with her belief in a connection between iii creativity and the experience of grief, and her memoir Sweet Mystery, helped to launch this journey and she was a continual source of inspiration. Dr. Lounsbury instilled in me a love for American studies and its history. Dr. Nettles taught me about resilience, and Dr. Freidenberg modeled how to do ethnographic work in a way that brings old men and women and their voices to life. I am grateful too to Dr. Mary Corbin Sies in my department who was my graduate director and who recommended I read Writing a Woman’s Life by Carolyn Heilbrun, a key book in my personal development, and she introduced me to the work of Patricia Hill Collins and bell hooks. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Joe Hall. Without his computer expertise and his kindness in being so available to help, this would have been a much more difficult journey. Equally I am indebted to Valerie Brown, the American Studies department secretary when I was there. I was one among many grad students fortunate to have been mothered by her. Thanks are owed to the staff of the University of Maryland College Park Interlibrary Loan department, especially Phong Nguyen, who helped so often finding books and articles, especially after a car accident when I couldn’t make it in to the campus library. I am grateful also to Sarah Brown who prepared this dissertation for uploading to the University Library. Online I approached and met a wonderful community of scholars who encouraged me and answered questions. These academics include: Dr. Laurel Richardson, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Ohio State; Dr. Roberta Maierhofer, Professor, Vice Rector and Director of the Center for the Study of the Americas, University of Graz, Austria, an age studies scholar who sent me a packet of her articles; Dr. Mary Grimley Mason, Professor Emerita Emmanuel College, Resident Scholar at Brandeis, an authority on iv autobiography; and Dr. Toni Calasanti, Professor of Sociology at Virginia Tech and scholar of aging. Dr. Leni Marshall, first chair of the NWSA Aging Caucus and Assistant Professor in the departments of English and Philosophy University of Wisconsin-Stout has answered questions and mentored me since we met for the first time in Minnesota more than seven years ago. Many thanks. I’m grateful too to Joy Jones, one of my students at Ursuline Academy in 1972, a friend and a talented writer, who talked me though issues of diversity. Dr. Michael J. Hummel, a valued friend, has been a supportive colleague and partner in the American Studies program. Dr. Michael Duggan, Professor of Theology St. Mary’s University College, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, talked me through some issues of religion and ethics. Namaste. Deborah Kloiber, Curator of the Ade Bethune Collection, St. Catherine University Libraries in St. Paul, Minnesota, was always unfailing in her assistance. Thanks are due to several physicians who helped me through the aftermath of my son Michael’s death, and the 2008 car accident. A nod of gratitude to Dr. Dana H. Frank, now Chair of Medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore and a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Assistant Professor; Dr. Toby C. Chai, Professor of Surgery, University of Maryland Medical System, Division of Urology; Dr. Ali J. Afrookteh, Internal Medicine Associates, Frederick, MD; Dr. Steve A. Petersen, Associate Professor Orthopedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins, Co-Director Division of Shoulder Surgery; and Dr. Harry A. Quigley, Johns Hopkins Professor of Ophthalmology, Director Glaucoma Service, whose second opinion rescued me from eye drops and an incorrect diagnosis, and who shared with me his personal experience of a death in his family. v Finally I thank the seven women who made this study possible, both long and short-term project partners: Adé Bethune, Mary Azarian, Luthera Dawson, Elisabeth Ogilvie, Vivian York, Harriet Baldwin and Kate Barnes. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION.................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................................iii TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................. vii INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE: THE JOURNEY BEGINS..................................................................... 9 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHOD ....................................... 54 CHAPTER THREE: