How could russian intellectual womer contribute to agriculture?: Circulation of ideas in education and career development of women agronomists, late 19th - early 20th century

• Autores: Olga Elina
• Localización: The Circulation of Science and Technology: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the European Society for the History of Science. Barcelona, 18-20 November 2010 / coord. por Antoni M. Roca Rosell, 2012, ISBN 978-84-9965-108-8, págs. 217-223
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • In the second half of the 19th century, Russia, compared to the other European countries and the USA, faced a rather disturbing situation regarding women high education and career opportunities. Universities as well as agricultural institutes were still forbidden for women; a few specialized institutes prepared mostly ‘educated housewives’, and only later opened up for future physicians and teachers. There were a few women enthusiasts who managed to receive special permission from both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education to enter Moscow Agricultural institute. Pioneers of the movement Mariya S. Bevad and Anna K. KostoSudakovich became the first Russian women agronomic scientists.

    In the end of the 19th century, the great hope for Russian women with passion for agricultural science became the establishment of an Association (Society) for the Advancement of Women’s Agricultural Education (AAWAE). The AAWAE was set up in 1889 by men of liberal views, led by professor of agricultural science Ivan A.

    Stebut. This association became the first in Russia in the field of agriculture to give women full membership (in other associations women were only allowed to attend public lectures and entertainments). One of the most active female members was Nadezhda P. Dolgova, who lectured extensively on the development of women’s agricultural education. She travelled around Europe, met her women colleagues to get information on the subject, and wrote a lot of articles and books on agricultural education abroad. As a result of the AAWAE activity, High Agricultural Courses for Women were set up in St. Petersburg (1904), Moscow (1908), and other cities. In the 1910s about 400 women graduated from these institutions every year to become agronomists and agricultural scientists.

    The presented paper examines for the first time the circulation of ideas and the formation of networks in the field of women agricultural education and career opportunities in Russia.