Analysis Of Disorderly Women By Jacquelyn Dowd Hall

Author Jacquelyn Dowd Hall’s article titled, “Analysis of Disorderly Women: Gender and Labor Militance in the Appalachian South” presented many interesting aspects from a mentally refreshing point of view that stood out compared to other articles that speak on the topic of textile industries. Refreshing, due to the fact that it shed light onto the women perspective of the often male dominated topic. Jacquelyn Hall speaks on just how women are often marginalized in nearly every aspect of society. These aspects include the workforce and historical documents, and this very marginalization of women as an entirety is commonly displayed each and every day. Jacquelyn Hall began the article by introducing the readers to a young woman by the name of

Flossie Cole. Cole was a southern textile worker who was one of the driving forces in the main topic of women demanding southern textile workers rights. Aside from the title, a major clue of both the time period and region that was being spoken about was the fact that Hall spoke of Model T’s as well as East Tennessee and other southern states within the introduction.

This clearly meant that the 1920’s were the time period when the series of events were taking place. Jacquelyn Hall opens by discussing the women led protest within Elizabethton which fought against low wages, amongst other unequal treatment of women in the very industry that women were currently dominating in. Hall also speaks on the domino effect that this protest had on the entire country. Elizabethton ultimately sparked a subtle revolution of other protests involving labor all throughout other areas. At this time in history, women were ultimately the central component of the entirety of the textile industry. The fact that twenty percent of women aged fourteen and above were currently taking part in paid professions, shows that the role many women played in households was slowly beginning to change. Hall describes the situation as one where the women were obviously refusing to work, while simultaneously willing and ready to negotiate. Just as in about any other worker led protest where equal rights are

demanded.
Firstly, when analyzing Jacquelyn Hall’s article, it is important to make note of the title.

Many may think this is an obvious observation to be made, yet the interpretation of titles often goes unnoticed or is simply overlooked. Hall gives a statement which gives the reader an understandable interpretation of the title when she states, “The activists of Elizabethton belonged to a vulnerable tradition of disorderly women, women who, in times of political upheaval, embody tensions that are half-conscious or only dimly understood” (Hall). This statement alone sheds light onto exactly how many different components the common marginalization of women in society takes place in. Women, not only in this time period, but also currently are often either overlooked or simply claimed to being not understood when seen attempting to create names for themselves. This may be why feminism often has a negative connotation connected to it. Feminism is ultimately the advocacy for equality of both genders in society, and this is exactly what was represented all throughout Jacquelyn Hall’s article. This was done so when Hall mentioned the common instances where female militancy had often gone “unseen” due to the fact that it was a contradiction of conventional wisdom and had simply fractured America’s image of what an ideal woman should represent. This image is often categorized as slightly submissive towards men, while behaving in a meek, controlled manner in all situations, no matter the

circumstance.
Additionally, Hall continues by listing national women’s organizations that had launched post-World War I and the impact they had on both labor unions related to textile industries and women’s rights in its entirety. Jacquelyn Hall lists organizations such as The National Women’s Trade Union League (NWTUL) as well as The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). Both of the previously stated organizations had slightly similar motives. The National Women’s Trade Union League (NWTUL) ultimately launched a southern education campaign, while The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) employed many southern secretaries while simultaneously strengthening their industrial department.
In my opinion, this article was an interesting read. This is because of the enlightenment that Jacquelyn Hall brought to an often trivialized topic. Hall spoke on things such as the distinct differences between both men and women’s tactics when it came to protests. Jacquelyn Hall spoke on the fact that women are often seen as unequal as a group. Hall’s description of the gender inequality that was represented not only in the textile industry, but all industries and occupations, showed it was a powerful culture and movement that led a pathway for many other movements which subsequently came afterwards.