Adventures Abroad: North American Women at German-Speaking Universities, 1868-1915

(Hardback)

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Description

In the period between the Civil War and World War I, German universities provided North American women with opportunities in graduate and professional training that were not readily available to them at home. This training allowed women to compete to a greater degree with men in increasingly professionalized fields. In return for such opportunities, these women played a key role in opening up German universities to all women. Many devoted the rest of their lives to creating better research and graduate opportunities for other women, forever changing the course of higher education in North America. This study provides accounts of the incredible barriers encountered by these first women students in Europe. It documents their perseverance and hard-won triumphs and includes as well the stories of the progressive men who mentored them and fought for their rights to higher education. Never before has documentation of so many North American students at German-speaking universities been included in one volume. This collection of stories from women across disciplines makes it possible to assess the truly remarkable nature of their combined contributions to higher education and research in North America and Europe.

Reviews

"Singer presents an extensive research, fruit of an admirably patient work in the archives throughout the two continents....[t]he innovative approach, the huge amount of detailed information, and the comprehensive treatment, make this volume a must for all scholars of the subject."-Hist. Phil. Life Sci.
[F]ills a blatant gap in our field of women's studies, offers a fine bibliography, thorough index, and excellent footnoting. It belongs in all llibraries worthy or their calling.-Society for German-American Studies
Singer presents an extensive research, fruit of an admirably patient work in the archives throughout the two continents....[t]he innovative approach, the huge amount of detailed information, and the comprehensive treatment, make this volume a must for all scholars of the subject.-Hist. Phil. Life Sci.
Using a database of 1,350 women from the US and Canada, this book seeks to answer five questions about their experiences at German-speaking universities in the late 19th century: why they chose to study abroad; why they chose German-speaking universities over others in Europe; what their experiences in these universities were like; how their presence influenced German university policies; and how their experiences affected their later lives....Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.-Choice
While the contributions of American men abroad are well documented, the experiences and achievements of female students have long been neglected. Sandra L Singer's Adventures Abroad fills this void....Adventures Abroad is extensively researched and extrememly valuable for future investigations concerning the contributions of women scholars.-German Studies Review
"Fills a blatant gap in our field of women's studies, offers a fine bibliography, thorough index, and excellent footnoting. It belongs in all llibraries worthy or their calling."-Society for German-American Studies
"[F]ills a blatant gap in our field of women's studies, offers a fine bibliography, thorough index, and excellent footnoting. It belongs in all llibraries worthy or their calling."-Society for German-American Studies
"While the contributions of American men abroad are well documented, the experiences and achievements of female students have long been neglected. Sandra L Singer's Adventures Abroad fills this void....Adventures Abroad is extensively researched and extrememly valuable for future investigations concerning the contributions of women scholars."-German Studies Review
"Using a database of 1,350 women from the US and Canada, this book seeks to answer five questions about their experiences at German-speaking universities in the late 19th century: why they chose to study abroad; why they chose German-speaking universities over others in Europe; what their experiences in these universities were like; how their presence influenced German university policies; and how their experiences affected their later lives....Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above."-Choice

Author Bio

SANDRA L. SINGER is Associate Professor of German at Alfred University.