Jane Addams: biography of this American philosopher

This thinker and activist greatly influenced the living conditions of the most vulnerable.

Jane Addams (1860-1935) was an American reformer, philosopher and activist who co-founded the first social residence in the United States, the Hull-House, dedicated to working on behalf of the immigrant population as well as on various educational and social policies. She was also the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 and the first public philosopher of the same country.

In addition, she belonged to the first generation of upper-middle class women who had access to higher education; an experience that led her to problematize the tensions that women lived between social and family demands and their own professional desires. The following is a brief biography of Jane Addams..

Jane Addams: biography of a social reformer

Jane Addams was born on September 6, 1860. Daughter of Sarah Weber and John Huy Addams, American Republican politician and businessman. She was the youngest of five siblings and was raised at the dawn of the Civil War in a small town in northern Illinois. Her mother died when Jane was just two years old, while her father served under Abraham Lincoln as a Republican state senator in the second half of the 19th century.

From the influences of her social and family environment, Jane Addams was shaped by the values and principles of her family. was formed among values and principles such as community responsibility, human rights, and civil bonding.She was also a member of the first group of women to become a member of the first group of women to become a member of the first group of women to become a member of the first group of women.

She was also part of the first generation of women to receive a high level education at the Rockford Female Seminary from 1877 to 1881. In fact, she was the first student to receive an official degree from the university.

It was a social context that opened schools for women, which responded in part to their need for autonomy and professional development, although in the end it did not offer many possibilities for public practice. At the same time, Jane Addams was living in a family context in which the youngest daughter was expected to take care of the household..

Just like other women living in similar environments, Jane Addams faced various psychic and somatic discomforts for years, which among other things led her to develop her philosophy and activism. She worked especially hand in hand with Ellen Gates Starr, who had also studied at the Rockford and shared her interest in strengthening community and social support. In addition, she understood well the stress that women faced. The fruit of the latter was the creation of the first social and progressive residence in the United States: the Hull-House..

The family imperative

In an era of strong domestic demands on women, Jane Addams found herself in a tension between pursuing her desires to reform social support in the public sphere and social approval, whose demands went in the opposite direction.

After having to give up her professional projects, and from the conflicts that this generated, she and other women of the same period underwent the "rest cure" prescribed by Dr. Weisner. prescribed by Dr. Weir Mitchell, which consisted of spending some time tied up in bed. Later, Addams herself would explain that she found herself in a paralyzing situation between what she called "the family imperative", centered on the cult of the domestic; and the yearnings of an autonomous life dedicated to social activism (García Dauder, 2005).

Jane Addams' cure did not come so much through rest but some time later, when she ended up making some domestic renunciations and founding, together with Ellen Gate Starr, the Hull House. He also devoted himself to writing and to the development of a philosophical a philosophical line related to social progress, women's emancipation, diversity, the ethics of care and the actions of women.and the ethics of care and actions for peace.

The Hull House: a "squat"?

The Hull House was so named because it was set up in a residence located in a working class immigrant district in Chicago. This residence was vacant and had been built by Charles Hull in 1856.

They moved there in 1889 and it grew gradually, eventually having several buildings that offered a nursery, gymnasium, community kitchen, meeting spaces for working girls, and occupational and training workshops, as well as various playgrounds. All of this was available to the population of the neighborhood, most of whom were immigrants.. It was also an important meeting point for different workers and social reformers of the time, who came to live in the same center and collaborate with their tasks.

Political impact and social recognition

Addams' work influenced laws on the working conditions of women and children, factory inspection, and the inspection of factories.Addams' work influenced laws on working conditions for women and children, factory inspection, and demands for justice for women, blacks and immigrants. In 1910 Addams was the first woman president of the National Conference of Social Work; in 1915 she was president of the International Congress of Women at The Hague; and in 1931 she was the first winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Today the Hull-House has become a museum dedicated to Jane Addams and the women who worked together for education and social development.

Jane Addams' Theoretical and Philosophical Development

Jane Addams worked to ensure that her theoretical development was not divorced from the reality she lived. And vice versa, she wanted the implications of her activism to have reality at the theoretical level. Thus, Jane Addams' works are filled with examples of her experiences at the Hull House, and she addresses unusual topics ranging from folkloric stories of immigrant populations and prostitution, to garbage collection (Hamington, 2018).

From her work at Hull House, as well as her personal experience, Addams' theoretical perspective develops an ethic of care that is not limited to the parent-child relationship. develops an ethic of care that is not limited to the parent-child relationship, but extends to the notion of community and social development.but extends to the notion of community and social development. As a result of her scholarly activity, Addams published a dozen books and more than 500 articles in which she also importantly problematizes the American pragmatic tradition, in which she had originally been trained.

Bibliographical references:

• Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2018). Jane Addams. American Social Reformer. Retrieved July 04, 2018. Available at https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jane-Addams.
• Hamington, M. (2018). Jane Addams. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved July 03, 2018. Available at https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/addams-jane/.
• García Dauder, S. (2005). Psychology and Feminism. Forgotten history of pioneer women in psychology. Narcea: Madrid.
• Bissell, V. (2000). Addams, Jane. American National Biography. Retrieved July 03, 2018. Disponible en http://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1500004.