Myra Dinnerstein | |
---|---|
Dinnerstein, 1975 | |
Born | Myra Anne Rosenberg 1934 (age 89–90) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Years active | 1971–2005 |
Spouse |
Leonard Dinnerstein
(m. 1961; died 2019) |
Myra Dinnerstein (born 1934) was the founding director of the women's studies program at the University of Arizona. After completing an undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate at Columbia University, she began teaching at the University of Arizona. In 1975, she started the women's studies program as an academic minor, and grew it into a full department with accredited undergraduate and master's degrees. She successfully fought an attempt to remove the program launched by the Arizona State Legislature because lesbian history and achievements were included in the curriculum. She retired in 2003 and was honored in 2005 the Women's Plaza of Honor.
Early life and education
Myra Anne Rosenberg was born in 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kathryn (née Sharp) and Benjamin Rosenberg. She was Jewish. Her father manufactured clothes and she and her older brother Edwin, grew up in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Their mother died when Rosenberg was twelve years old. Both siblings attended the University of Pennsylvania. Upon completion of their studies, Edwin joined their father's firm, while Rosenberg pursued graduate studies in history at Columbia University in New York City. In 1958, Rosenberg met a student, Leonard Dinnerstein, in one of her classes. They began dating, and married in Philadelphia on August 20, 1961. During her studies, she worked for a publishing house and taught at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. She completed her thesis, The American Board Mission to the Zulu, 1835–1900 in 1971, earning her PhD in African history.
Career
The couple moved to Tucson, Arizona in July 1970, where Leonard had secured a professorship in history at the University of Arizona. Dinnerstein lectured in the continuing education department of the university and also taught courses at Pima Community College from 1971. She began offering a course in women's history at the University of Arizona in 1974, and the following year was selected as the inaugural director of the newly established field of women's studies. Dinnerstein recalled that it was difficult to prove that the field was legitimate and in the beginning the entire program consisted of herself and a secretary, and was only offered as an academic minor. Designing an interdisciplinary curricula, she used teachers from other departments with specialties in history, literature, sociology, and other fields to incorporate women's achievements in those fields. In 1976, she worked with Laurel L. Wilkening to establish the university's program on women in science and engineering.
In 1977, Dinnerstein became one of the founding members of the National Women's Studies Association, serving on the coordinating council as a representative of the Southwest region and as treasurer of the national organization. Her university office was moved in 1978 into the mathematics building, which had no women's restrooms. By 1983, the university had accredited an undergraduate degree in women's studies and she developed a master's degree program in 1995. Full department status was granted in 1997 with eight permanent faculty members. In 1999, the Arizona State Legislature unsuccessfully attempted to dismantle the program after a parent complained that lesbians were included in a literary course. Dinnerstein dismissed the complaint saying that women's studies had always included lesbian history and should continue to include both heterosexual and homosexual issues. She stated that erasure of lesbian involvement in women's movements and activities was a "way of devaluing woman and trying to keep women quiet". The couple retired in May 2003, but Dinnerstein continue to work with the university, serving on the Millennium Project Oversight Committee. She was one of the first honorees of the Women's Plaza of Honor, dedicated in 2005.
Research
Dinnerstein wrote advisory articles regarding the integration of women into traditional curricula to prevent ghettoization of women's studies. She argued that without introducing women's contributions to various fields, students would graduate without the knowledge that women had participated in society and in science. The work of Dinnerstein and colleagues, according to scholar Elizabeth J. Sacca was important in challenging "academic disciplines to revise their notions of research and recognition to include women as fully as men" and evaluating the issues encountered while they pressed for change.
Dinnerstein's other research interests included work done on aging and menopause and the changes in perception of older women over time. She also wrote several articles on body image and the false perception that the way someone looks is an indication of their character. As a successful woman who was overweight, she was not interested in the negative effects of discrimination, but rather in how women who were fat and successful overcame the obstacles. She also analyzed whether the methods differed based on ethnic group and sexual orientation in a course she taught on the subject.
Selected works
- Dinnerstein, Myra (1971). The American Board Mission to the Zulu, 1835–1900 (PhD). New York, New York: Columbia University. OCLC 1017251419. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
- Dinnerstein, Myra; O'Donnell, Sheryl; MacCorquodale, Patricia (Spring 1982). "Integrating Women's Studies into the Curriculum". Women's Studies Quarterly. 10 (1). Old Westbury, New York: Feminist Press: 20–23. ISSN 0732-1562. JSTOR 40003117. OCLC 5547189190.
- Dinnerstein, Myra; Schmitz, Betty, eds. (1986). Ideas and Resources for Integrating Women's Studies Into the Curriculum. Vol. 1 & 2. Tucson, Arizona: Southwest Institute for Research on Women. OCLC 18043107.
- Aiken, Susan Hardy; Anderson, Karen; Dinnerstein, Myra; Lensink, Judy; MacCorquodale, Patricia (Winter 1987). "Trying Transformations: Curriculum Integration and the Problem of Resistance". Signs. 12 (2). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press: 255–275. ISSN 0097-9740. JSTOR 3173985. OCLC 5548287504.
- Dinnerstein, Myra; Schmitz, Betty, eds. (1989). Ideas and Resources for Integrating Women's Studies Into the Curriculum. Vol. 3. Tucson, Arizona: Southwest Institute for Research on Women. OCLC 18043107.
- Dinnerstein, Myra (1992). Women Between Two Worlds: Midlife Reflections on Work and Family. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press. ISBN 978-0-87722-884-4.
- Dinnerstein, Myra; Weitz, Rose (June 1994). "Jane Fonda, Barbara Bush and Other Aging Bodies: Femininity and the Limits of Resistance". Feminist Issues. 14 (2). New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Periodicals Consortium: 3–24. doi:10.1007/BF02685654. ISSN 0270-6679. OCLC 5656565515.
References
Citations
- ^ University of Arizona 2023.
- ^ The Philadelphia Inquirer 1986, p. 32.
- ^ The Philadelphia Inquirer 1947, p. 31.
- Freidenreich, Harriet Pass (Spring 2007). "Joining the Faculty Club: Jewish Women Academics in the United States". Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues (13): 100. doi:10.2979/nas.2007.-.13.68. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ The Jewish Exponent 1976, p. 102.
- ^ The Philadelphia Inquirer 1955, p. 27.
- US Census 1950, p. 72.
- ^ The Tucson Daily Citizen 1975, p. 11.
- ^ Morlock 2003, p. 4A.
- Dinnerstein 1971.
- Roberts 2019.
- The Douglas Dispatch 1974, p. 1.
- Kay 1975, p. 8.
- Gassen 2000, pp. B1, B5.
- Martin 1985, p. E1.
- Women's Studies Quarterly 1977, pp. 6, 9.
- Gassen 2000, p. B1.
- Gassen 2000, p. B5.
- Morlock 2003, p. 1A.
- Lacy 2005, p. E7.
- F. 1982, p. 19.
- Sacca 1989, p. 122.
- Dillaway 2020, pp. 260–262.
- Brochard 2003, p. 6.
- ^ Szekely 1993, p. E1.
- Feminist Teacher 1988, p. 46.
- Susan, Coulter & Jones 1997, p. 139.
Bibliography
- Brochard, Nathalie (January 2003). "La girl culture: la nouvelle regression" [The Weight of Commercial Culture: Girl Culture: The New Regression]. L'Émilie (in French) (91). Zürich, Switzerland: Association femmes suisses et le Mouvement féministe: 6–7. doi:10.5169/seals-282484. ISSN 2571-8312. OCLC 819975337. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- Dillaway, Heather (2020). "21. Living in Uncertain Times: Experiences of Menopause and Reproductive Aging" (PDF). In Bobel, Chris; Winkler, Inga T.; Fahs, Breanne; Hasson, Katie Ann; Arved, Elizabeth (eds.). The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 253–268. ISBN 978-981-15-0614-7.
- F., S. (Spring 1982). "A Special Feature: Transforming the Traditional Curriculum". Women's Studies Quarterly. 10 (1). Old Westbury, New York: Feminist Press: 19. ISSN 0732-1562. JSTOR 40003117.
- Gassen, Sarah Garrecht (September 22, 2000). "The Power of 'Or'". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. pp. B1, B5. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Kay, Jane (September 30, 1975). "She Puts 'Herstory' into History". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. p. 8. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Lacy, Sherri (October 23, 2005). "Pima County Sports Hall of Fame Inducts 10: Napolitano Helps Launch Women's Plaza of Honor". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. p. E7. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Martin, J. C. (May 26, 1985). "UA's Highest-Ranking Woman Has Earned Her Way There". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. pp. E1, E2. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Morlock, Blake (May 16, 2003). "Retiring UA Professors Leave Behind Thriving Legacy". Tucson Citizen. Tucson, Arizona. pp. 1A, 4A. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Roberts, Sam (January 31, 2019). "Leonard Dinnerstein, 84, Dies; Scholar of Anti-Semitism in U.S." The New York Times. New York, New York. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- Sacca, Elizabeth J. (Winter 1989). "Invisible Women: Questioning Recognition and Status in Art Education". Studies in Art Education. 30 (2). Reston, Virginia: National Art Education Association: 122–127. doi:10.2307/1320779. ISSN 0039-3541. JSTOR 1320779. OCLC 5544294485.
- Susan, Jolie; Coulter, Sara; Jones, Sarah (1997). Funding: Obtaining Money for Curriculum Transformation Projects and Activities. Baltimore, Maryland: National Center for Curriculum Transformation Resources on Women. ISBN 978-1-885303-05-9.
- Szekely, Julie (March 29, 1993). "Big Success in a Thin World". Tucson Citizen. Tucson, Arizona. p. E1. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "1950 US Census, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 625 Foxcroft Road: Ben Rosenberg". archives.gov. Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Administration. April 8, 1950. p. 72. enumeration district #46–57, lines 24–25. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- "2 U. of P. Juniors Elected Editors". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 18, 1955. p. 27. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ben Rosenberg". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. December 28, 1986. p. 32. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Edwin Rosenberg". The Jewish Exponent. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 14, 1976. p. 102. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- "History of Women Course Offered". The Douglas Dispatch. Douglas, Arizona: Wick Communications. January 16, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- "Myra Dinnerstein". Women's Plaza of Honor. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona. 2023. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- "NWSA News: Constitution of the NWSA". Women's Studies Quarterly. 5 (1–2). Old Westbury, New York: Feminist Press: 6–10. Winter 1977. ISSN 0363-1133. JSTOR 40042428. OCLC 5547220110. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- "Rosenberg". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 25, 1947. p. 31. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Teaching Resources". Feminist Teacher. 3 (3). Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press: 44–46. Fall–Winter 1988. ISSN 0882-4843. JSTOR 25680565.
- "Women's Studies Aim Cited". The Tucson Daily Citizen. Tucson, Arizona. September 10, 1975. p. 11. Retrieved April 27, 2023 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- 1934 births
- Living people
- Writers from Philadelphia
- University of Pennsylvania alumni
- Columbia University alumni
- Manhattanville University people
- University of Arizona faculty
- 20th-century American historians
- Women's studies academics
- American women historians
- 20th-century American women writers
- Historians from Pennsylvania
- Historians from Arizona
- Jewish American academics