Legacies of Thought and Action: The Professional Networks of 19th-century Women Physicians
FAIN: FT-254970-17
Gesa Kirsch
Bentley University (Waltham, MA 02452-4713)
Research and writing of a book on the
professional networks and intellectual leadership of women physicians in the
late 19th century.
This book investigates the rhetorical strategies, professional networks, and intellectual leadership of a group of late 19th century American women physicians. Drawing on several case studies and the rarely examined Woman’s Medical Journal, I argue that we can better understand the rhetorical practices and professional performances of early women physicians by attending to how they shared resources, knowledge and ideas, using both formal and informal ways to educate and mentor one another. This project illuminates the scope, range, and contours of professional networks that enabled women to collaborate, communicate across generations and geographical boundaries, and advocate for social change. This research has important implications for today: it highlights the powerful impact of professional networks for women and other underrepresented groups, whether they work in the medical professions, STEM fields, the social sciences or humanistic fields.
Associated Products
From Farmer’s Daughter to Physician: The Advocacy, Activism, and Legacy of Dr. Mary Bennett Ritter and her Contemporaries (Public Lecture or Presentation)Title: From Farmer’s Daughter to Physician: The Advocacy, Activism, and Legacy of Dr. Mary Bennett Ritter and her Contemporaries
Abstract: Dr. Gesa Kirsch discussed the legacy of Dr. Mary Bennett Ritter, an early 20th century woman physician, her cohort of Western women physicians, and the role of the Woman's Medical Journal in creating and sustaining a large professional network of early women physicians.
Author: Gesa E. Kirsch
Date: 4/25/17
Location: Harvard Medical School, Countway Medical Library, Boston
Strong, Bold, and Determined: Learning from Women Physicians and Innovators, circa 1886 (Public Lecture or Presentation)Title: Strong, Bold, and Determined: Learning from Women Physicians and Innovators, circa 1886
Abstract: Join us for a lively discussion about what we can learn from early women physicians, innovators, and women's rights activists. Focusing on the legacy of Dr. Mary Bennett Ritter, her cohort of Western women physicians, and the Woman's Medical Journal, the discussion will focus on what innovators can learn from strong, bold, and determined women.
Author: Gesa E. Kirsch
Date: 3/23/17
Location: Venture Cafe, Cambridge Innovation Center, Cambridge, MA
Primary URL:
http://http://vencaf.org/event/strong-bold-and-determined-learning-from-women-physicians-and-innovators-circa-1886/?instance_id=15404