Diverging and Contested Feminisms in Early Social Work History in Ontario (1900–1950)
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Diverging and Contested Feminisms in Early Social Work History in Ontario (1900–1950) by Marjorie Winnifred Johnstone A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work University of Toronto © Copyright by Marjorie Winnifred Johnstone 2015 Diverging and Contested Feminisms in Early Social Work History in Ontario (1900–1950) Marjorie Winnifred Johnstone Doctor of Philosophy Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work University of Toronto 2015 Abstract This study examines early Ontario social work history by documenting the lives of four women who contributed to the history of Ontario social work some of whom have largely been forgotten. While social work remains a female-dominated profession, both currently and historically, few historical studies have addressed this. This study attempts to equalize the views and voices of social workers by including select women who were active in the field illuminating and identifying some of the contributions of women to the debates which characterized early social work in Ontario. This study selected two women from the radical tradition with socialist/communist affiliations and as counterpoint two figures who were members of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire and who represent a conservative value system based in the tradition of British imperialism. Three guiding research questions for the study are 1) what conditions organizations and practices shaped and positioned social work as a profession in its formative years 2) how were the significant debates/discursive trajectories reflected in the organizational settings of early social work? 3) How were these ideas implicated in their practice? Did these women speak through the organizations they led or participated in? How did they contribute to the production of or alternative positions to, the competing epistemés of the ii time? This research provides an original contribution by elaborating a history of ideas in social work through the prism of organizational practice and key formative figures. By adopting this dual focus, I capture individual agency in life history but also the cultural shift of discourse and regimes of truth, not only within individual lives but also as a myriad of intersecting overlapping discursive (ideas) and material (practices) occurrences. iii Acknowledgments This dissertation was made possible through the support, collaboration and patience of many. I would like to acknowledge my committee for their skillful supervision and ongoing confidence in this project. My supervisor, Dr. Adrienne Chambon for her ability to keep me on course and her ongoing help in navigating the complexities of the project. Thank you for stimulating my thinking and alerting me to new ways of expressing myself. My thesis committee members: Dr. Ernie Lightman for always challenging me to think further and to carefully attend to my choice of words; Dr. Therese Jennissen for her careful reading of my work and sharing her own historical expertise to sharpen the accuracy of my work; Dr. Roland Sintos Coloma for his encouragement and belief in the project. My internal-external reviewer, Dr. Sheila Neysmith for her thoughtful reading of my work and her attention to sharpening the feminist content of my dissertation. Thank you for standing behind me and supporting me through the final steps of the process. And, my external examiner, Dr. Hugh Shewell for his thorough reading of my work and his insightful critique. His comments and observations deepened my understanding and pushed my thinking to a new point. I have been privileged with supportive friendships—old and new—that have sustained me through the years of research and study. A special thank you to Daphne Jeyapal who has stood by my side throughout the process, an unfailing source of support and encouragement, always available and a wonderful listener. To the doctoral support group which was organised by Sajedeh Zahraei and the members Sofiya An, Farah Mawani and Meg Gibson who collectively supported my journey offering useful advice and unfailing encouragement. And to my social work colleague and friend, Jolynn Connelly who has backed me throughout the years and was always confident that I would complete this undertaking. We shared many meals (I no longer need to look at the menu in those restaurants) while we talked through the ups and downs. Thank you to Dr. Eunjung Lee who has supported my scholarship and who not only provided me with the work I needed to pay the bills but has also provided me with other stimulating avenues of inquiry. iv I am grateful to my sister, Christine who encouraged me to take this path and who has continued to inspire me when I was discouraged. Thank you Mum and Dad who are no longer here but who taught me to value education. Lastly, I want to thank my partner, Peter who has supported me through the daily trials of research, thinking, writing and completing this dissertation. Without his unfailing support and belief in my ability to do it, it would not have been possible. He has patiently waited for me to complete as the years have rolled by. Finally, I want to dedicate this thesis to three people, my Great Aunt Kitty who died in the 1921 influenza epidemic while in the PhD program at Cornell. Her picture continues to sit next to my computer and is a source of inspiration to me. And, to my nephew Justin Forster and my niece Natalie Forster who are the next generation. v Table of Contents Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................x List of Appendices ......................................................................................................................... xi Introduction ..................................................................................................................................1 Research Questions and Figures ......................................................................................................6 Outline of the Chapters ..................................................................................................................11 Chapter 1 Theoretical Framework and Literature Review .....................................................14 1.1 Feminism ...............................................................................................................................14 1.1.1 The Wave Theory of Feminism ...................................................................................15 1.1.1.1 First Wave Maternal Feminism in Canada (1900–1950) .......................................16 1.1.1.2 Female Imperialism in Canada (1900–1950) .........................................................20 1.1.1.3 First Wave Socialist Feminism (1900–1950) ........................................................27 1.2 Imperialism, Colonialism and a Postcolonial Perspective ....................................................31 1.2.1 Colonialism and Liberal Imperialism ..........................................................................31 1.2.1.1 White Settler Societies ...........................................................................................32 1.2.2.2 A Postcolonial Critical Perspective .......................................................................33 1.2.2.3 Culture and Imperialism ........................................................................................36 1.3 Approaching Social Work Historically (Literature Review) .................................................37 1.3.1 Approaches to Knowledge and History .......................................................................38 1.3.1.1 Feminist Historical Position ...................................................................................38 1.3.1.2 Foucault’s Approach to History .............................................................................41 1.4 The History of Social Work Through Different Lenses ........................................................44 1.4.1 Brief Overview of Social Work History in Ontario .....................................................44 1.4.2 How Has Canadian History Dealt with Social Work? .................................................45 1.4.3 How Has Canadian Social Work Dealt With Its History? ...........................................51 1.4.3.1 Tensions, Debates, and Contestation in the History of Social Work .....................52 1.4.3.2 Social Work and Gender ........................................................................................53 1.4.3.3 Settlement Movement and Social Work ................................................................54 1.4.3.4 Casework................................................................................................................55 1.4.3.5 Canadian Social Welfare History...........................................................................55 1.5 Social Work and Biography ..................................................................................................57 Chapter 2 Research Questions and Methodology .....................................................................59 2.1 Research Objectives ..............................................................................................................59 2.1.1 Part 1: The Figures .......................................................................................................59