New Books in History Patricia Anne Simpson, "Early Modern Women's Work: Kinship, Community, and Social Justice" (Routledge, 2025)
Nov 30, 2025
Patricia Anne Simpson, a Professor of German and author of a groundbreaking new study, dives into the untold contributions of early modern women in German-speaking Europe. She discusses how these women defied patriarchal norms, creating vibrant community spaces and asserting their literary and intellectual voices. Simpson challenges traditional views of gendered work, highlights the emotional labor intertwined with motherhood, and examines figures like Maria Sibylla Merian, who navigated colonial dynamics through their art and activism.
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Women Fashioned Alternative Work Communities
- Early modern women formed alternative kinships and emotional communities that created real work spaces beyond domestic roles.
- These enclaves combined intellectual, entrepreneurial, and emotional labor to contest patriarchal norms.
Enlightenment Binaries Obscure Earlier Roles
- Canonical histories impose Enlightenment binaries that hide early modern women's mixed intellectual and emotional labor.
- Simpson shows those binaries weren't fixed yet and privileged women exploited gaps to gain education and authority.
Designing Mourning Into Public Work
- Anna Köfelin turned private grief into public work by designing and selling a model 'children's house' broadsheet after losing children.
- Her mourning became pedagogical labor and a sold attraction, making loss visible and productive.
