Essay Assignment
Use the Chicago Style for citations and take care to ensure that the citations are completed properly. Your essay should be 1,000-1250 words in length.
The written assignment is to create a primary source essay that helps to define the role of work in shaping women’s lives and voices in 20th century United States history.
Your essay is based on the work completed Workshop on Women and Work as well as a 30-45 minute interview of a working woman that you conduct.
To learn more about the process of conducting interviews and of the value of interview-based research in women’s history, visit the following sites:
Interview as a Method of Qualitative Research
Step by Step Guide to Oral History
Make sure that the interviewee’s words are fully integrated into your analysis, as well as your own work experiences.
The essay should:
Describe in detail the work and life of your interviewee, contextualizing it in relation to the course readings.
Analyze the role of work in defining women’s history in the 20th century decades of 1920-2000.
Reflect on your role in women’s history as a working (or non-working) woman.
