"Divine Discontent": Women, Identity, and the Western Producer

by Scowby, Christa L.

This thesis is a study of the construction of identity of farm women on the "Mainly For Women" pages of the Western Producer from 1930 to 1939. It is an examination of how farm women drew upon and challenged traditional concepts of women's work roles on the farm to create a collective identity more practical to the reality of their everyday experiences. During the Great Depression, women's work roles took on greater importance, and farm women sought greater recognition and appreciation of the value of their labour. They turned to the "Mainly For Women" pages, which were edited by fellow farm woman Violet McNaughton, to discuss and debate their reproductive, productive, and community work. Since the material published on the pages was largely written by farm women, the pages revealed the qualities that united them as a group as well as how they perceived themselves as a collective.