HIST- 2508-001/6 – Fall/Winter 2022-23

Issues in the History of Women in Canada

The department of history at the University of Winnipeg acknowledges that we live and work in the
ancestral and traditional territories of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew, Assiniboine, Cree, Dakota, Dene,
Métis Nations. We also acknowledge that the discipline of history has been used to support programs of
dispossession and assimilation directed against Indigenous peoples. Teaching and learning Indigenous
histories allows us to confront colonial history as well as honour and respect the people who have called
this place home for millennia.

Course Details:
Location: ONLINE (NEXUS)
Time: ASYNCNR - There are no video lectures. Lectures are written, in pdf format and will be
posted on Nexus on Fridays by noon (sometimes earlier if possible). In any case, you may
“consume” the lectures according to your own schedules/preferences (although it’s a good idea to go
through one per week.. There are two classes (on WWI and on Postwar Gender Violence – where
films *replace* the lecture). Most lectures are accompanied by Powerpoints; several may not be.
There is no audio component to the Powerpoints. Please note: Assignments are laid out in detail on
p. 8-14 of this outline. Please review them before emailing with questions (though questions are
still welcome!) Assignment due dates appear on page 2 of this outline. Please note: reading over the
question for the final assignment at the start of the course will help you focus on the relevant
information throughout the course.

Instructor: Dr. Sharon Wall

Ph: I am working remotely for the moment.
email: s.wall@uwinnipeg.ca
Office Hours: Please feel free to contact me via email about anything regarding this course. If necessary,
we can set up a live discussion for longer questions/queries.
Students are reminded that they have a responsibility to regularly check their uwinnipeg e-mail addresses
to ensure timely receipt of correspondence from the University and/or their course instructors.

COURSE OUTLINE

Description (from Calendar): This course gives students the opportunity to explore issues in women's
history in Canada from the seventeenth century to the twentieth. Students examine women's political,
legal, economic, social, intellectual/education, labour, medical, and cultural history. They also learn the
central role gender plays in Indigenous history as well as histories of contact, settlement and
colonialism, industrialization, immigration, war, and urbanization. (All of these topics may not be
discussed each year). Restriction: Students may NOT receive credit for both the 3 and 6 credit
hour version of this course.

Desired Learning Outcomes for this course:

Students should leave the course with an understanding of a number of key concepts:

1) that there is no *one* “history of Canadian women”; women’s experiences have been shaped
differently by the fact of colonial and by women’s race, class, sexuality, region, and other factors. In
particular, students should gain an appreciation of the unique place and perspectives of Indigenous
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women in the place we now call Canada.

2) that gender roles are historically and socially constructed. Thus, we see the expectations of what it
means to be a woman shift over time, they vary according to the social group to which one belongs, and
that, throughout history, women have not always submitted to social expectations regarding expression
of their gender.
3) that there is no direct line of “progress” in women’s history; positive change has occurred due to the
active struggle of particular groups of women, not simply due to the passage of time; also that what one
group of women may consider “progress” is not always considered so by others.

Students should also leave the course with particular skills related to the discipline of history including:
1) the ability to discern the difference between primary and secondary sources (in history).
2) the ability to analyze primary sources to gain insight into women’s experiences and the representation
of them in the past. This includes the ability to compare and contrast and to think critically about
conflicting evidence.
3) the ability to analyze secondary sources, including grasping main arguments, understanding the use of
evidence, and the particular perspective of the historian.
4) the ability to construct well-organized essays using both primary and secondary sources.

Textbooks: There are no required textbooks for this course. Please *follow the course outline* to
understand what to read/watch for each week. Course readings are all available either via library e-
journals or e-books (links are listed on the syllabus) or via Nexus (a small number). Students should be
aware that faculty are not permitted (by copyright law) to place articles on Nexus which are available in
our Library’s e-journals.

Instructions for downloading chapters of e-books: – Chapters and download buttons are often (not
always) listed on the first page. If not, you may have to open the book, navigate to the correct chapter,
then click on “pdf” button above the page of text to download the chapter.

Breakdown of items that will be graded:

Item Weight Due Date
Assignment 1 – Domestic Servants 10% October 28th, 10 pm on Nexus
Assignment 2 – The Modern Girl 20% Dec 12th, 10 pm on Nexus
Assignment 3 – Women in WWII 20% February 17th, 10 pm on Nexus
Assignment 4 – Postwar Women 25% April 3rd, 10 pm on Nexus
Final Course Reflection 25% April 19, 10 pm on Nexus

The numerical (percentage) range for letter grades is as follows:

Letter Grade Numerical Range
A+ 90+
A 83-89
A- 80-82
B+ 75-79
B 70-74
C+ 65-69
C 60-64
D 50-59
F 0-49

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Please note that the final grades should be approved by the Department Review Committee and may be
subject to change.

A minimum of 20% of the work on which the final grade is based will be evaluated and available to you
before the voluntary withdrawal date – February 14, 2023. This 20% consists of the following items:

Assignment #1 10%
Assignment #2 20%

The equipment authorized for the final course reflection: There is no final exam in this course.
There is a final course reflection, which is a take-home assignment. The question and guidelines are
already posted in the “Assignments” section on page 8 for you to keep in mind as you work your way
through the course materials.

See the following pages for the list of Lectures/Readings/Assignments

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Schedule of Topics and Classes

Reminder: Before starting the course, it is a good idea to read through the final assignment & prepare
for it (note key points, flag useful material, etc)as you work through course materials. You will likely
have to edit it down, but you’ll have a much better start than if you only consider the question at the
end of the course.

The amount of reading in this course is approximately 25-35 pages per week. (This does not include
individual research projects. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE READING OF THE LECTURES.
Lectures are not recorded or live; they are available in written/pdf format.)

Please note that all topics listed on the outline may not be covered.

1) Sept. 9 – Introduction: The Origins & Evolution of Women’s History

Reading: Catherine Carstairs and Nancy Janovicek. “The Dangers of Complacency: Women's
History/Gender History in Canada in the Twenty-First Century.” Women's History Review 27, no. 1
(2018): 29–40. https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7787464153

2) Sept. 16 - Indigenous Women on Pre-contact Turtle Island (“from time immemorial” to

European contact 1600)

Secondary source reading: Kathryn Magee Labelle: “‘They Are the Life of the Nation’: Women and War
in Traditional Nadouek Society,” The Canadian Journal of Native Studies 28, 1(2008):119-138.
https://cjns.brandonu.ca/wp-content/uploads/28-1-05magee.pdf

3) Sept. 23 - Women in New France (1608-1760)

Afua Cooper, “A New Biography of the African Diaspora: The Life and Death of Marie-Joseph
Angélique, Black Portuguese Slave Women in New France, 1725–1734,” Chapter1 in Marlene Epp and
Franca Iacovetta, eds., Sisters or Strangers? : Immigrant, Ethnic, and Racialized Women in Canadian History, 2nd
Edition (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2016.), pp. 23-42. E-book: - You will have to navigate
to Chapter 1 - https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/948552587

Holiday – Friday, Sep. 30 – National Truth & Reconciliation Day – No classes/lectures

4) Oct. 7 - Women in (Pre-industrial) British North America (1780s-1850s)

Secondary source reading: Julia Roberts, “Women, Men, and Taverns,” Social History/Histoire Sociale vol
36, no. 72, (2003): 371-406. https://hssh.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/hssh/article/view/4409

**** Reading Week (October 9 – 15 ) (no classes/lectures) ****

5) Oct. 21 – Industrialization & Varying effects on Middle- and Working-class Women

Secondary source reading: Magda Fahrni, `Ruffled' mistresses and `discontented' maids: respectability
and the case of domestic service, 1880-1914,” Labour/Le Travail 39 (Spring 1997): 69-97.
http://www.lltjournal.ca/index.php/llt/article/view/5060/5929

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6) Oct 28: Race, Gender & Indigenous Women in Fur Trade & Western Settlement Era

Secondary source reading: Sarah Carter, Chapter 1: “Creating, Challenging, Imposing, and Defending
the Marriage ‘Fortress’” in The Importance of Being Monogamous: Marriage and Nation Building in Western
Canada to 1915 (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2008), pp. 2-17.
https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1032166142 Due: Oct 28th – Assign #1 (Domestic Service)

7) Nov. 4 - Creating a White Settler Society: Gender, Homesteads, & Colonization of the West
(1870s-1920s)

Secondary source reading: Ashleigh Androsoff. "The Trouble with Teamwork: Doukhobor Women’s
Plow Pulling in Western Canada, 1899". Canadian Historical Review vol 100, no. 4 (2019): 540–563.
https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/8536636799

November 11 – Remembrance Day – No Classes

8) Nov. 18 - Beyond the Home, but still restricted: Privileged Women in Higher Education

Secondary source reading: Alyson E. King, “Centres of 'Home-Like Influence': Residences for Women
at the University of Toronto,” Material History Review 49 (Spring 1999): 39-59.
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17787/19062

9) Nov. 25 - Beyond the Home II: The Suffrage Movement/ “First-Wave” Feminism

Secondary source reading: Sarah Carter, “Settler Suffragists: Contexts, Causes, Obstacles,” Chap. 1 in
Ours by every Law of Right and Justice : Women and the Vote in the Prairie Provinces (Vancouver: UBC Press,
2020), pp. 12-39. Coming soon on Nexus

10) Dec 2 - Sexuality, Reproduction, and the Law

In place of reading, watch: “Constance Backhouse: Ontario’s Dark Reformatory Past” (19 min)
https://www.tvo.org/video/constance-backhouse-ontarios-dark-reformatory-past

11) December 6 - WWI (“The Great War”) and Canadian Women (1914-18)

In place of lecture Watch: NFB, And We Knew How to Dance, 1994 (55 min)
https://www.nfb.ca/film/and_we_knew_how_to_dance/

Secondary source reading: Alison Norman, “In Defense of the Empire: The Six Nations of the Grand
River and the Great War,” in Sarah Glassford and Amy Shaw eds., A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service:
Women and Girls of Canada and Newfoundland during the First World War (Vancouver: UBC
Press, 2012), pp. 29-50. Chapter in E-book: https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1037927174
(You may have to open “subsections” to see the chapters.)

12) December 7 - Constructing Women as Shoppers and the Culture of Consumption

Jane Nicholas, Chapter One: “Making a Modern Girl’s Body: Commodities, Performance and
Discipline,” in The Modern Girl: Feminine Modernities, the Body, and Commodities in the 1920s (Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 2015), 23-61. E-book https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/905854981
Due - Dec 12: Assignment #2 - Modern Girl Assignment
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Winter Term:

13) Jan. 6 - Lesbian culture in the Early Twentieth Century

Secondary source reading: Cameron Duder, “Physical Sexuality,” Chapter 3 in Cameron Duder, Awfully
Devoted Women: Lesbian Lives in Canada, 1900-50 (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2010),
pp. 74-94. Nexus.

14) Jan. 13 - Motherhood, Race, and Class across the 20th Century

Secondary source reading: Margaret Hillyard Little, “He Said, She Said: The Role of Gossip in
Determining Single Mothers' Eligibility for Welfare,” Journal of Policy History vol 11, no. 4 (1999): 433-454
https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/4806374543 (Make sure to chose the “Cambridge
Journals” Database; the other link will not lead to the right article).

15) Jan 20 - The Interwar Years (1920s-30s) – Political Firsts & a Great Depression (1929-39)

Secondary source reading: Katrina Srigley, “Young Women’s Job Options in an Urban Labour Market,”
Chapter 3 in Breadwinning daughters : young working women in a depression-era city, 1929-1939 (Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 2010), pp. 57-82. E-book, UW library. Chose J-Stor option for best
viewing: https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/759157328

16) Jan 27 - WWII & Canadian Women

Films & reading for Assignment #3 (links to other short videos included in lecture)
NFB, To the Ladies, 1946. (9 min) https://www.nfb.ca/film/to_the_ladies/
NFB, “Rosies of the North,” 1999.(46 min) https://www.nfb.ca/film/rosies_of_the_north/

Secondary source reading: Donald Davis, Barbara Lorenzkowski, “A Platform for Gender Tensions:
Women Working and Riding on Canadian Urban Public Transit in the 1940s,” Canadian Historical Review
vol. 79, n3 (1998): 431-465 https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/4665400841

17) Feb 3 - Postwar Realities: Change & Continuities

Secondary source reading: Joy Parr, ‘Shopping for a Good Stove: a Parable about Gender, Design and
the Market’ in Joy Parr, ed., A Diversity of Women: Women in Ontario since 1945 (Toronto: University of Toronto
Press, 1995), pp. 75-97. Choose Proquest option: https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/244768402

18) Feb 10 - Immigration and “Ethnic Women” in the Postwar Period

Secondary source reading: Franca Iacovetta and Valerie Korinek, “Jell-O Salads, One-Stop
Shopping,and Maria the Homemaker: The Gender Politics of Food,” in Marlene Epp and Franca
Iacovetta, eds., Sisters or Strangers? : Immigrant, Ethnic, and Racialized Women in Canadian History, 2nd
Edition (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2016.), pp. 432-52.
https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/948552587

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19) Feb 17 - Second Wave Feminism/Reproductive Justice

Secondary source reading: Shannon Stettner, “He is still unwanted”: Women’s Assertions of Authority
over Abortion in Letters to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada,” Canadian
Bulletin of Medical History vol. 29, no. 1 (2012): 151-171.
https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/6909739735

Watch: Karen Cho, “Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada,” 2012 (1 hour 27
min). https://www.nfb.ca/film/status_quo_the_unfinished_business_of_feminism/
Feb 17 - DUE: Assignment #3 – Women & WWII
Feb. 19-25 – Winter Reading Week – No classes

20) Mar. 3 - Post-war Sexualities

Secondary source reading: Sharon Wall, “Some thought they were ‘in Love’”: Sex, White
Teenagehood, and Unmarried Pregnancy in Early Postwar Canada,” Journal of the Canadian Historical
Association vol. 25, no. 1, (2014): 207-41. https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5961913579

Watch: Forbidden Love – “The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives” (documentary – contains
mature content regarding sexuality) https://www.nfb.ca/film/forbidden_love/

21) Mar. 10 - Postwar Indigenous Women

Secondary source reading: Mary Jane Logan McCallum and Shelisa Klassen, “Because it’s 1951: The
Non-History of First Nations Female Band Suffrage and Leadership,” in Kiera L Ladner and Myra Tait,
eds., Surviving Canada: Indigenous Peoples Celebrate 150 Years of Betrayal (Winnipeg: ARP Books, 2017), pp.
215-235. On Nexus.

22) Mar. 17 - Fighting back against Gender Violence

In place of lecture, watch 2 films: National Film Board, “After the Montreal Massacre,” (27 min)
https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/904761588

Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Saskatchewan (SISS) & Iskwewuk-E-wichiwitochik “Everything is

Connected: A Dialogue Between MMIWG & the Sixties Scoop,” (52 min).
https://www.everythingisconnected.ca/film/

Secondary source reading: Jeremy Istead, Catherine Carstairs, and Kathryn L. Hughes “Before
#MeToo: The Fight against Sexual Harassment at Ontario Universities, 1979–1994,” Historical Studies in
Education, vol 33, no. 1, (Spring 2021): 1-21.

23) Mar. 24 – Work on Research Papers

24) Mar. 31 –Women of the Future? The Future of “Women’s History”?

(more on next page)
J. Kēhaulani Kauanui and Winona LaDuke, “Environmental Activism” chapter in Speaking of Indigenous
Politics: Conversations with Activists, Scholars, and Tribal Leaders (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,
2018), 157-70. https://uwinnipeg.on.worldcat.org/v2/oclc/1033547171

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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilinson, “Introduction,” in All We Can Save: Truth, Courage
& Solutions for the Climate Crisis (New York: One World, 2020), xvii-xxii. (just 6 pages) Nexus.

Watch: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, “Political Concepts: Resurgence,” April 24, 2020. (27 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV1_IDtQZsc

DUE: April 3 – Assignment #4 – Postwar Women

DUE: April 19 - Final Course Reflection

Assignments: Explanations and Guidelines

As this class will not be meeting live, these guidelines are fairly detailed, trying to offer you what I might
normally say in person (and to head off your questions – but you may also email with questions!). There
are ways you might “start early” on some of these, but for some you may have to wait for the related
lecture material to be posted to complete them.

Please consider these instructions & guidelines the “rubric” or expectations for each assignment.
General Guidelines & formatting of all Assignments:

1) Submitting assignments: All assignments and the final take-home exam should be submitted on
Nexus under “Assessments” >“Assignments”. (The “Assessments” tab is accessible at the top of
any Nexus page, fourth from the left.) There will be a separate folder for each assignment. Please do
not submit assignments via email. Late papers: will lose 2%/day. No later than 7 days late without
permission.

2) Submit papers in Word format ONLY. Where you have located Globe & Mail articles, submit
these also (in pdf format) on Nexus.

3) All of the assignments ask you to *analyze* historical documents (or “primary sources”) usually
in light of one or two “secondary sources” (articles published by *historians* looking back on the
history). While you will want to share some of the basic facts from your primary sources, to analyze
them means to do *more* than that. Consider carefully the kinds of evidence and arguments
presented by the authors and the *language* used. Language often offers hints as to our attitudes,
assumptions, values, and prejudices. If the author is evident, think about how their perspective might
shape the article. (You might make an educated guess at the *type* of author if you do not know for
sure: are they an insider to whatever issue they discuss? a critic looking from outside? a relatively neutral
observer? A woman/man?) Where they seem relevant, point out connections between these
primary sources and the information and themes presented in the secondary source in a brief
way (examples are included in the specific assignments below).

4) The note-taking stage: This is a stage many students often skip, leading to weaker papers that tend
to merely summarize, rather than also analyze the sources. (It can also lead to relying too much on the
words of your sources – because you’re just looking at them as you write your essay.) Learn to do this
well and not only will your papers improve, you will have a lot less stress in the writing stage (since
you’ll have your themes to guide you). The suggestions below are not mandatory, by any means, but
they are the same guidelines I follow as a published author in history.

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Note taking on your secondary sources: Try to isolate what you think is the author’s main argument
(be sure to share that in your essay). Additionally, take notes on the several main points that structure
the article and *perhaps* some interesting details that help to make the point. Later, you can decide how
many to keep or discard. If one sentence or two is really useful in showing the heart of the article, you
may want to note that to use as a direct quotation in your essay (but generally, save most of your
quotation for revealing the fascinating details of your own primary research!)

Note-taking on primary sources (newspaper articles and historical films, etc): A key point: instead of
taking a page of notes (or what have you) on a single source, as you go, break your note-taking down
into thematic categories. In essays on women and gender, your themes might relate to women’s
experience (eg. What kind of work *did* women do during WWII? What kinds of things were they
buying in the 1920s, etc, but they might also relate to attitudes towards women, social assumptions
about gender, and also how women *felt* about their experiences (if known). For each paper, there may
well also be themes which relate to the particular subject of the essay. Always stay alert to how specific
*language* is used to give us hints about deeper meanings.

Notice, then, that a single newspaper article about shopping for pantyhose might touch on several of
the themes you also find in other sources, such as: attitudes towards women, ideas about women’s
“proper role,” and/or the idea that goods will bring happiness, and so on. Write the notes associated
with each theme under that theme, so that, in the end, your notes are a list of themes with specific
evidence from different articles (rather than a list of evidence about each article). As you analyze, look
for points of connection with assigned secondary sources.

If your note-taking is broken down into themes, it will be easy to construct an essay based on these
themes, arranging each paragraph around a specific theme, drawing in all the evidence (perhaps from
multiple sources) on each theme. On the other hand, it is also possible you may have a theme that is
touched on in only one article. There is no set rule except to avoid simply summarizing the sources.
This tells me only that you’ve read them; try to do more than that and demonstrate that you’re
understanding the *significance* of what you are finding.
5) Writing up your papers: If using a secondary source, after a clear introduction, you will want to
review the argument and main points (not every detail) of the secondary source. Moving on then to
analysis of your primary sources, use the thematic categories you created while note taking to group
your evidence into thematic paragraphs. (Again, this is usually more effective than moving source by
source). Again, this could mean referring to a primary source more than once under different themes.
*Short* quotations from the primary sources sprinkled here and there can help to convey the “feel”
and the language of the time period more directly (but don’t let quotations take over your paper).

6) Students are strongly encouraged to consult the “Guide to Essay Writing” (on Nexus) for further
points on how to structure an essay in history and on how to avoid frequent student errors.

7) As you write, create endnotes to appear at the end of the paper (endnotes are *not* part of your
page count). The guide mentioned above also includes a general guide to referencing in Chicago style
(Notes/Bibliography style) NOT Author/Date style; notes are *not* in brackets within the paper but
placed at the end and numbered 1, 2, 3…. etc). To cite Globe and Mail sources, use this format:

Author [if known], “Title of newspaper article in quotation marks” Globe and Mail, [date: 4 April 1886],
4. [page number.] If you’re not familiar with the *technology* of making endnotes appear in Word,
consult here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-footnotes-and-endnotes-61f3fb1a-

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4717-414c-9a8f-015a5f3ff4cb

Using Historical Issues of The Globe and Mail

Several of your assignments this year will draw on sources that you locate and choose yourself within
the pages of past issues of The Globe and Mail, available via the UW Library website (databases). Be sure
to select Globe and Mail 1844+ [ProQuest] (in case there is any other version of the Globe & Mail)
Pay close attention to the indicated time period identified in each assignment. To be clear: a paper will
receive a failing grade if it draws on present-day articles or on time periods far outside of those
indicated in the guidelines.
Using the Database: (Go to the UW Library website; click on “databases”; navigate to the “G”
databases and scroll to Globe & Mail 1844+. You will need your webadvisor username and
password to access the database (unless you are on campus, I believe). Once inside The Globe, click on
“Advanced search” –In search box: place your search term/s. To find articles likely *most* focused
on your topic, also select in “document title” (instead of “anywhere” from the drop-down menu
beside the search box). If “in title” doesn’t give you enough options, you may try another term OR
search in “anywhere”. This will find many more hits, but some might be less relevant. Adjusting the
dates of your search: Scroll down to “publication date” and select “specific date range” from the
dropdown menu to insert the years suggested for each assignment (you don’t need to fill in the exact
day/date, just the years).

Finding the best possible search terms: This is a key point. Consider: if you use language that we use
today but that people did not use in 1920 (if you’re studying the 1920s) you won’t find anything! That’s
why using “domestic servant” or “domestic service” for the 1st assignment is a good idea (instead of
using “house cleaner” or some other term). For the final paper, some may choose to study Indigenous
women, but if you use the search term “Indigenous,” you won’t find much in the 1960s because
newspapers still tended to use the term “Indian”. So, searching with the term “Indian” is a good idea
(even though a distasteful, racist term; possibly “Aboriginal” by the 1970s?) If searching using “Indian”
then you’ll have to be careful you’re not reading about women in India too! (usually you can tell by the
places that are talking about). Tip: Read the secondary sources before starting the primary
research. This will give you insight regarding the language of the time and on topics and issues that
might make for good search terms. Avoid using too many words in your search: Maybe you want to
see if there is a story about an Indigenous domestic servant (not that likely in the 1920s, but possible).
Then you might want to use the term “domestic servant” and “Indian” in different search boxes. For
the paper on The Modern Girl, some good search terms may be: “shopping” “women shopper” or you
might just search “Eatons” or browse through the ads of the newspapers. You might want to use the
term of something women would shop for, like, “dresses” or “shirtwaist” (the early term for blouses) or
more general term like “bargain” (but then you might want to add “women” to your search). The term
“salesgirl” might point you to interactions between shoppers and salespeople. Again, always reading the
secondary sources first might suggest other terms to you. For the final paper, I will post a list of topics
and suggested search terms to get you started on each one.)

“Document type”: To assist in finding the most useful “hits”, try also narrowing the “document type”
(below the “publication date” section). If you tick off “article” and “front page,” you’ll avoid simply
getting classified ads (unless you would like to look at some classified ads). If you also tick off
“editorial,” that may bring up interesting information since editorials involve people sharing their
*opinion*on a subject. Sometimes, they are written by readers who write in to the newspaper and may
offer a more popular view on a subject (i.e. what the everyday person thought). Ticking off “display

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ad” may be useful for the paper on women and shopping (though I would avoid using *just* ads if
possible).

Keep in mind: you don’t have to use the first article you find (necessarily). Look for one that might
add something interesting to your paper. Important: you’ll be using the Globe & Mail more extensively
in the 2nd and 4th assignments. I hope the first assignment will be a good “warm-up” exercise for
understanding how to use this database. Feel free to email if you are having troubles. I love doing
primary research and am happy to help (and to get to know you a little this way too!)

A) Assignment #1: Domestic Servants in The Globe & Mail

The main aim of this paper is to compare the findings of the secondary source - Magda Fahrni’s
`Ruffled' Mistresses and `Discontented' Maids: Respectability and the Case of Domestic Service, 1880-1914,”
with 4-5 newspaper articles you locate yourself in the historical issues of The Globe and Mail for the
time period from 1880-1910. (See Week 5 for the full article reference and how to locate Fahrni’s
article.)

Format: 4-5 double-spaced pages (*before* endnotes), 12 point font, Times New Roman.

Guidelines & questions: (Answer in essay format, but work at weaving in the answers to the following
questions):

1) First, work at selecting a variety of articles (i.e. try to cover different aspects of this issue not just the
reporting on the immigration of domestic servants, for example, which is covered a lot in The Globe). (If
they are shorter, you may want to find the full five suggested; if somewhat longer, perhaps four will be
enough.) Suggested search terms (feel free to vary these and to use terms you learned in the
secondary source to remind you of the language of the time): “domestic service” “domestic servant”
(these should bring up quite a few “hits” since they were frequently discussed in the newspaper). Ads
for domestic servants might also tell us important things about this work (although they are short and
won’t provide lots of detail likely), so I would not create a paper based only on ads. (To search ads
specifically, tick the “classified” section in area marked “document type”.)
2) Consider from whose perspective the article is written. How does this shape the article and its
tone? What kinds of information about domestic service does it include?
3) Look carefully at (and perhaps comment on) the language used. Our choice of words often reveal
our beliefs about a subject and can be used to sway others to our point of view. Words also can reveal
our assumptions about gender, class, race and other factors.
3) What connections can you see between your chosen articles & the secondary source (Fahrni’s
article)? (eg. Do they echo one or more of the article’s points? Perhaps they provide more detail or
another angle on a point already mentioned in the secondary source. Do they bring up entirely new
issues? Do they bring up evidence that contrasts with that of the secondary source?, etc.)
4) Based on this (small) sample of Globe articles, what can you conclude about how they compare overall
with the findings of Magda Fahrni?

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B) Assignment #2 – The Modern Girl, Gender & Consumption

Format: 7-8 double-spaced pages (*before* endnotes), 12 point font, Times New Roman.

1) Three chapters from The Modern Girl: In addition to Chapter 1 (read for Lecture 12), read any two
additional chapters (from chap 2-6) of The Modern Girl. These three chapters will become the
background secondary source.

2) Select 6-7 newspaper articles from The Globe & Mail database (1844+ Proquest) which tell us
something about women and consumption between 1920 and Sept., 1929 (October was the start of
the Great Depression, a very different time). For this paper in particular, you may want to analyze some
“display ads” in combination with a search term describing a product targeted at women like: “dresses”
or cosmetics etc.) Ads usually draw on widely-held stereotypes so they can be useful for this paper. I
would suggest, however, not analyzing *just* ads, but also some “meatier” articles discussing shopping,
shoppers, possibly some on department stores (“Eatons”) and so on. Or, if you read the chapter on
beauty contests, these are likely also covered in the newspaper, so “beauty contest” should help bring
those up. Whichever chapters you chose, try to find newspaper articles somewhat related to those
themes.

3) Following the guidelines for essay writing, write an introduction, then start by reviewing the
*main points* (not every detail, but larger issues) in your three chosen chapters of The Modern
Girl. After this review (1.5 pages maximum), thematically explore the evidence found in your
primary sources (the newspaper articles), comparing and contrasting them with the secondary
source from time to time. (Return to the general guidelines for a refresher on how to analyze sources
*thematically*)

AVOID going back into detail about the secondary source once you have arrived at this part of the
paper. At this point, your focus is in on your own primary research. References to the secondary
source should be brief in this primary research portion of your paper. For example: “Just as
Nicholas found of women, this Globe article says….” Or “In contrast to Nicholas, this Globe article...”

C) Assignment #3: -Women & WWII - Format: 4-5 double-spaced pages (*before* endnotes),
12 point font, Times New Roman– This assignment uses materials already covered in the material for
the Lecture on women & WWII (#16) . Steps: Read the lecture. Watch the films on WWII (there are 2
films listed on the syllabus AND several video clips embedded in the lecture. I suggest pausing to note-
take for best approach). Then read the written secondary source. Think about as you read and respond
in essay format to the following question: Taking the subject of women’s experiences and
treatment during WWII, what common themes connect the lecture, reading, and films for this
topic? The lecture is your “background” against which you will compare and contrast the experiences
represented in both films and reading. This means looking for similarities/connections/linkages and
perhaps some possible contrasts or differences. This means your job is not simply to summarize the
different sources, but to focus on the connections between them. (In particular, do NOT waste time
summarizing or giving detailed evidence from the lecture; instead make *brief references* to key points
where useful in your paper.) Instead, draw on the information and details from the films and reading
which “echo” the themes of the lecture (and, if relevant, which add new elements, contrasts, or themes
to consider). A thematic, back-and-forth approach (rather than a source by source approach) will likely
work best for this paper. In other words, look for central themes that connect the sources and write
your paper up theme by theme, rather than source by source. Because this is a short paper, don’t waste
space with long quotations; short ones are acceptable, especially if they help you to make a point. To
cite the sources, use the format as these sources appear on the course outline and create endnotes to
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appear at the end of the paper. If you’re not familiar with creating endnotes in Word:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-footnotes-and-endnotes-61f3fb1a-4717-414c-9a8f-
015a5f3ff4cb

D) Assignment #4 – Postwar Women - 7-9 double-spaced pages, 12 point-font – For this major paper you
will be asked to find and analyze 8-12 Globe and Mail newspaper articles from the 1960s-80s (or whatever
dates best match or are *indicated* on the options sheet) in light of a related secondary source. Students will
be provided with a list of the topics & secondary sources to be posted on Nexus. Each paper should follow the
same organization: 1) Provide a one-paragraph general introduction to the topic and to the specifics of your
paper (i.e. what are you comparing and contrasting? What types of sources are you using, what is your time
period? An introduction should include – often near the end of the paragraph - a thesis statement that sums up
your argument
2) Summarize the main argument and key points of evidence of the secondary source in no more than
1.5 pages maximum. Thus, don’t waste time on long quotation from the secondary source, but explain
the heart of the article.) 3) In the rest of the paper, analyze your primary sources, comparing and
contrasting them with each other. Think about what expectations and experiences of women they
reveal. Think aobut their contents, but also the perspectives they reveal, and the language they use.
Depending on your topic, you may find different themes in your evidence.Think of how you might
group your evidence into thematic paragraphs (instead of simply reviewing one newspaper article at a
time). From time to time, you may wish to *briefly* compare what you are finding with the secondary
source with which you started your paper. By *briefly* here is an example of what I mean: “Just as
historian X found in her article on X, this newspaper article similarly shows that….” OR “Unlike what
X argued in her article on X, this article shows that….” Tip: This also means that once you start the
section analyzing your newspaper sources, you do NOT return to analyzing the secondary source and
do NOT quote the secondary source. 3) When considering how to create a thesis/main argument for
your paper, it might be useful to ask yourself: a) overall, are my findings and conclusions about the
primary sources similar to that of the historian writing the secondary source? OR b) have I uncovered
new material, a new perspective, a different angle on this topic? Keep in mind it may well be a bit of
both a) and b). To access and use the Globe and Mail database refer back to the and for the
list of articles and search tips for the primary research, see further instructions to be posted on
Nexus (under “Final Essay”). Students are also strongly encouraged to consult the “Guide to Essay
Writing” posted on Nexus.

E) Final Course Reflection: Format/Page limit: 10-12 pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times
New Roman font. This assignment asks you to respond to the question below, drawing on any and
all course materials (lectures, readings, films, etc) to devise your answer. Please avoid repeating
detailed material from any of your assignments; you may refer to them in a brief way if they help make a
point. Please do NOT use materials from outside the course; instead show you have worked through
and understood the material of this course. While you may have live discussions with other students
who are willing, the work you submit should be a written work of your own creation. Texts of
answers or lists of points should not be posted for others to use on any university (or other)
platforms. These would be considered a form of academic dishonesty.

Key questions: “To what extent is it useful to study Canadian women as one historical group
and to what extent is this approach limiting?” Another way to put this might be: To what extent
do women in Canada share a common history and how much, on the other hand, have their
experiences differed? (Keeping these questions in mind as you make your way through course
materials will reduce your preparation time at the end of the course.) The goal is to be succinct and to
the point as possible so as to be able to draw on as much material as possible while keeping to the
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required page limit (i.e. don’t take up three pages on one lecture or reading, and then not have time to
bring others in) Please avoid direct quotation of either lectures or articles (except perhaps for brief
phrases you find very useful; not whole sentences). Organizing your material into large thematic areas
will likely make a better essay than trying to go through material, lecture by lecture. (eg. Women’s paid
labour is covered several times in the course, but you might be better off dealing with it in one section.
Use strong transitional phrases between sections instead of section titles. This allows you to
demonstrate you are aware of how one thing is linked to another). Be sure also to indicate your
awareness of general time periods. (eg. When addressing women’s paid work, be clear as to which time
period you are discussing – “early industrial period” or “in the 1930s”, etc) You will be marked on
the following:

a) how well you address the question, covering broad course themes/relevant material
b) ability to express yourself clearly (i.e. grammar, strong topic sentences, paragraphing, clear
sentence structure, strong transitions between paragraphs, etc.) – see “Guide to Essay Writing”
c) ability to make intelligent connections between material
d) creating a balance between showing general understanding & bringing in useful details (i.e.
you don’t want to merely a long string of lecture details; you also don’t want just a list of
general statements. You want to show you’ve seen the bigger picture and can use details
effectively to convey that).
d) clear introduction and conclusion – they should not be long, but they should be clear, laying
out your answer to the question in a thesis statement like any other essay.

Referencing: Similar to a formal exam, in this paper, there is no need for formal references or endnotes
(since I am aware of all the sources you are using). You should though, mention very briefly where
information is coming from as you write with quick references such as: “As mentioned in the lecture on
WWII” (don’t use lecture numbers, make it easy for me to follow!) or “According to McCallum’s article
on postwar Indigenous women…” etc.

Other general administrative info:

Work submitted for evaluation must be typed.

The first lecture will be posted [Sept 9, 2022]. The last lecture will be posted on [Mar. 31, 2023].
Evaluation period is April 10-21.

The voluntary withdrawal date, without academic penalty:

February 14, 2023.

Students are encouraged to discuss their situation with the instructor before withdrawing from the
course. Please note that withdrawing before the VW date does not necessarily result in a fee refund.
See https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/academics/calendar/docs/dates.pdf for all dates.

The University is closed for holidays, irrespective of campus closure related to COVID-19. Fall Term:

 September 5 (Labour Day), September 30 (Truth and Reconciliation Day), October 10

(Thanksgiving Day), November 11 (Remembrance Day), December 23 through January 2,
February 20 (Louis Riel Day), April 07 (Good Friday)
 Fall mid-term reading week is October 9-15; Winter reading week is February 19-25.

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Students may choose not to attend classes or write examinations on holy days of their religion, but they
must notify their instructors at least two weeks in advance. Instructors will then provide opportunity for
students to make up work examinations without penalty. A list of religious holidays can be found in the
2022-23 Undergraduate Academic Calendar.

Students with documented disabilities, temporary or chronic medical conditions, requiring academic
accommodations for tests/exams (e.g., private space) or during lectures/laboratories (e.g., note-takers)
are encouraged to contact Accessibility Services (AS) at 204-786-9771 or
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/accessibility-services/ to discuss appropriate options. All information about
a student’s disability or medical condition remains confidential.

When it is necessary to cancel a class due to exceptional circumstances, I will make every effort to
inform students via uwinnipeg email (and/or using the preferred form of communication, as designated
in this outline), as well as the Departmental Assistant and Chair/Dean so that class cancellation forms
can be posted outside classrooms.

A permitted or necessary change in mode of delivery may require adjustments to important aspects of
course outlines, like class schedule and the number, nature, and weighting of assignments and/or
exams.

Students can find answers to frequently ask questions related to remote learning here:
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/covid-19/remote-learning-faq.html3.

Regulations, Policies, and Academic Integrity. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves
with the Regulations and Policies found in the University Academic Calendar at:
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/academics/calendar/docs/regulationsandpolicies.pdf.

Particular attention should be given to subsections 8 (Student Discipline), 9 (Senate Appeals), and 10
(Grade Appeals).

To understand what is meant by academic integrity and the potential consequences of engaging in
plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct, please watch the following UW Library
video tutorial “Avoiding Plagiarism”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvFdxRU9a8g
Even unintentional plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct (as described in the video above).
Similarly, uploading essays and other assignments to essay vendor or trader sites (filesharing sites that
are known providers of essays for use by others who submit them to instructors as their own work) is a
form of misconduct, as it involves aiding and abetting plagiarism.

Important information is outlined in the Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedures:

https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/institutional-analysis/docs/policies/academic-misconduct-policy.pdf and
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/institutional-analysis/docs/policies/academic-misconduct-procedures.pdf.

Respectful Learning Environment. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful

manner on campus and in the learning environment irrespective of platform being used. Behaviour,
communication, or acts that are inconsistent with a number of UW policies could be considered non-
academic misconduct. See the Respectful Working and Learning Environment
Policy(https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/respect/respect-policy.html ) and Acceptable Use of Information
Technology Policy(https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/institutional-analysis/docs/policies/acceptable-use-of-
information-technology-policy.pdf ).More detailed information is outlined in the Non-Academic
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Misconduct Policy and Procedures (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/institutional-analysis/docs/student-

non-academic-misconduct-policy.pdf and https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/institutional-
analysis/docs/student-non-academic-misconduct-procedures.pdf ).

Copyright and Intellectual Property. Course materials are the property of the instructor who
developed them. Examples of such materials are course outlines, assignment descriptions, lecture notes,
test questions, and presentation slides—irrespective of format. Students who upload these materials to
filesharing sites, or in any other way share these materials with others outside the class without prior
permission of the instructor/presenter, are in violation of copyright law and University policy. Students
must also seek prior permission of the instructor/presenter before, for example, photographing,
recording, or taking screenshots of slides, presentations, lectures, and notes on the board. Students
found to be in violation of an instructor’s intellectual property rights could face serious consequences
pursuant to the Academic Misconduct or Non-Academic Misconduct Policy; such consequences could
possibly involve legal sanction under the Copyright Policy:
https://copyright.uwinnipeg.ca/docs/copyright_policy_2017.pdf

Research Ethics. Students conducting research interviews, focus groups, surveys, or any other method
of collecting data from any person, including a family member, must obtain research ethics approval
before commencing data collection. Exceptions are research activities done in class as a learning
exercise. For submission requirements and deadlines, see
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/research/ethics/index.html

Student Privacy. Consult the following to review your rights in relation to the collecting of personal
data by the University (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/privacy/admissions-privacy-notice.html ), especially
if Zoom is being used for remote teaching (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/privacy/zoom-privacy-
notice.html ) and testing/proctoring (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/privacy/zoom-test-and-exam-
proctoring.html )

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