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Erin Smith Dissertation.pdf (103.46 MB)

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Popular Music and the New Woman in the Progressive Era, 1895-1916

Smith, Erin Sweeney
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459782310

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Musicology.
An emblem of youth and vitality at the turn of the 20th century, the New Woman existed simultaneously as both living woman and fictional icon. Her detractors and advocates skirmished with each other in editorials and magazine features, and their arguments created disparity between a character portrayed at one moment as aggressive and calculating, and at another as charming and educated. Popular sheet music of this period provides an untapped resource to demonstrate the interweaving of the fictional New Woman with the documented experiences and interests of female consumers. This dissertation sheds light on Tin Pan Alley’s role in tying the New Woman’s youth and freedom to the act of consumption. Through a nexus of sight, sound, and theatricality, this music offers a fresh way to explore intersections between public debates and the stereotypes adopted in the advertising and entertainment industries. Investigation into music as a key component of the New Woman has been neglected in favor of research into other media forms. I seek to remedy this lacuna by demonstrating Tin Pan Alley’s role in defining the New Woman as an unruly figure shaped through sound, whether in lyrics that assigned disruptive sounds to female subjects, sheet music covers that depicted the soundscapes of the New Woman, or auditory qualities shaped by musical notation and performance. The New Woman persona crossed class divides from socialite to shop girl, and encompassed hot-button issues regarding appropriate female activity. Songwriters strove to create products that would appeal to both sides of the New Woman debates. My analysis demonstrates how songwriters turned to vaudeville’s ethnic stereotypes and class humor to appeal not only to those who approved of what the New Woman represented, but also to those who viewed her as a threat to American society. To that end, I investigate New Woman girl “types” including the Working Girl, College Girl, Athletic Girl, and Technology Girl. Intended to attract an audience bombarded by an array of cheap amusements, Tin Pan Alley’s New Woman forms a unique and valuable perspective on women’s changing role in American society throughout the Progressive era.
Daniel Goldmark, Ph.D. (Advisor)
245 p.
American Studies; Music
Tin Pan Alley; New Woman; popular music; sheet music; Progressive Era

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Smith, E. S. (2016). Popular Music and the New Woman in the Progressive Era, 1895-1916 [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459782310

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Smith, Erin. Popular Music and the New Woman in the Progressive Era, 1895-1916. 2016. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459782310.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Smith, Erin. "Popular Music and the New Woman in the Progressive Era, 1895-1916." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459782310

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1459782310
328
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.