Building Support Systems in Early-20th-Century United States and Britain

This panel explores historical ways that women who defied mainstream ideals engaged with their communities to resist their marginalization and create mutually beneficial economic and social systems. Stephanie Makowski’s paper examines social science reports from interwar Britain, revealing that neighbors in these communities supported each other in material ways. Deena Ecker’s paper demonstrates how prostitutes and their working-class neighbors in 20th-century New York City tenements sustained local economies through multiple forms of labor and exchange. Amanda Brennan’s paper highlights how Black women in early 20th-century United States forged communities that, together, devised collective caregiving solutions. Taken together, these papers show people facing discrimination and oppressive conditions employed multiple strategies in pursuit of better ways of being.