Ruby Oram

In this engaging discussion, Ruby Oram, a historian and professor at Texas State University, dives into her research on the intersection of gender, child labor, and education for girls in urban America from 1870 to 1930. She reveals how middle-class reformers like Jane Addams shaped educational policies, often reflecting racial and class inequalities. Oram highlights the resistance of girls to domestic training, the complexities of women reformers, and the dual role of schools as tools for both advancement and social control. Her insights enrich our understanding of educational inequities and the history of girlhood.