Reaching Out in New Ways: Highlights from the History of Alverno's Research Center on Women

"Homemaking and the Family: Changing Values and Concerns" Conference

The Alverno College Research Center on Women coordinated the fourth of six regional "Homemaking and the Family" conferences sponsored by the Wisconsin Governor's Commission on the Status of Women. Topics covered at the workshops included financial protections for women, evaluation of  women's groups and volunteer positions; back to school, back to work; and current legislation pertinent to women and aging. The Milwaukee conference was geared to reach women in the following Wisconsin counties: Milwaukee, Racine, Walworth, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, and Kenosha. It was held on September 19, 1974.Babysitting was even available for conference attendees.

Here is a press release announcing the conference.

Here is a link to a printable PDF copy of the press release.

Kathryn E. Walker, Professor in the Consumer Economics and Public Safety Department at the New York State College of Human
Ecology, Cornell University was the luncheon speaker. She spoke on the"Economics of Homemaking."

"If a woman is employed by a man to take care of his house and his family she is considered to be doing productive work, but if she marries her employer and is no longer paid in dollars and cents, she is no longer doing productive work. Economists have used this example since the end of the 19th century to describe the dilemma of measuring total production of a country."

Kathryn E. Walker
(From: her luncheon talk at the conference)

Here is another Alverno press release that includes further detail on conference participants.

Below is a link to a printable PDF copy of the second press release.