Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun
(eBook)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Contributors:
Published:
[United States] : The University of North Carolina Press, 2008.
Format:
eBook
Content Description:
1 online resource (272 pages)
Status:
Description

Throughout World War II, when Saturday nights came around, servicemen and hostesses happily forgot the war for a little while as they danced together in USO clubs, which served as havens of stability in a time of social, moral, and geographic upheaval. Meghan Winchell demonstrates that in addition to boosting soldier morale, the USO acted as an architect of the gender roles and sexual codes that shaped the "greatest generation."Combining archival research with extensive firsthand accounts from among the hundreds of thousands of female USO volunteers, Winchell shows how the organization both reflected and shaped 1940s American society at large. The USO had hoped that respectable feminine companionship would limit venereal disease rates in the military. To that end, Winchell explains, USO recruitment practices characterized white middle-class women as sexually respectable, thus implying that the sexual behavior of working-class women and women of color was suspicious. In response, women of color sought to redefine the USO's definition of beauty and respectability, challenging the USO's vision of a home front that was free of racial, gender, and sexual conflict.Despite clashes over class and racial ideologies of sex and respectability, Winchell finds that most hostesses benefited from the USO's chaste image. In exploring the USO's treatment of female volunteers, Winchell not only brings the hostesses' stories to light but also supplies a crucial missing piece for understanding the complex ways in which the war both destabilized and restored certain versions of social order.

Also in This Series
More Like This
More Details
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780807887264, 0807887269

Notes

Restrictions on Access
Instant title available through hoopla.
Description
Throughout World War II, when Saturday nights came around, servicemen and hostesses happily forgot the war for a little while as they danced together in USO clubs, which served as havens of stability in a time of social, moral, and geographic upheaval. Meghan Winchell demonstrates that in addition to boosting soldier morale, the USO acted as an architect of the gender roles and sexual codes that shaped the "greatest generation."Combining archival research with extensive firsthand accounts from among the hundreds of thousands of female USO volunteers, Winchell shows how the organization both reflected and shaped 1940s American society at large. The USO had hoped that respectable feminine companionship would limit venereal disease rates in the military. To that end, Winchell explains, USO recruitment practices characterized white middle-class women as sexually respectable, thus implying that the sexual behavior of working-class women and women of color was suspicious. In response, women of color sought to redefine the USO's definition of beauty and respectability, challenging the USO's vision of a home front that was free of racial, gender, and sexual conflict.Despite clashes over class and racial ideologies of sex and respectability, Winchell finds that most hostesses benefited from the USO's chaste image. In exploring the USO's treatment of female volunteers, Winchell not only brings the hostesses' stories to light but also supplies a crucial missing piece for understanding the complex ways in which the war both destabilized and restored certain versions of social order.
System Details
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Winchell, M. K. (2008). Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun. [United States], The University of North Carolina Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Winchell, Meghan K.. 2008. Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun. [United States], The University of North Carolina Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Winchell, Meghan K., Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun. [United States], The University of North Carolina Press, 2008.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Winchell, Meghan K.. Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun. [United States], The University of North Carolina Press, 2008.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
527f4e15-3b32-d3c4-7437-6efb962a9036
Go To GroupedWork

Hoopla Extract Information

hooplaId11719435
titleGood Girls, Good Food, Good Fun
kindEBOOK
price1.99
active1
pa0
profanity0
children0
demo0
rating
abridged0
dateLastUpdatedJan 18, 2024 06:11:42 PM

Record Information

Last File Modification TimeNov 22, 2023 11:53:11 PM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeJan 26, 2024 03:04:47 PM

MARC Record

LEADER03006nam a22003735a 4500
001MWT11719435
003MWT
00520231028125047.1
006m     o  d        
007cr cn|||||||||
008231028s2008    xxu    eo     000 0 eng d
020 |a 9780807887264|q (electronic bk.)
020 |a 0807887269|q (electronic bk.)
02842|a MWT11719435
029 |a https://d2snwnmzyr8jue.cloudfront.net/csp_9780807887264_180.jpeg
037 |a 11719435|b Midwest Tape, LLC|n http://www.midwesttapes.com
040 |a Midwest|e rda
099 |a eBook hoopla
1001 |a Winchell, Meghan K.,|e author.
24510|a Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun|h [electronic resource] /|c Meghan K. Winchell.
264 1|a [United States] :|b The University of North Carolina Press,|c 2008.
264 2|b Made available through hoopla
300 |a 1 online resource (272 pages)
336 |a text|b txt|2 rdacontent
337 |a computer|b c|2 rdamedia
338 |a online resource|b cr|2 rdacarrier
347 |a text file|2 rda
506 |a Instant title available through hoopla.
520 |a Throughout World War II, when Saturday nights came around, servicemen and hostesses happily forgot the war for a little while as they danced together in USO clubs, which served as havens of stability in a time of social, moral, and geographic upheaval. Meghan Winchell demonstrates that in addition to boosting soldier morale, the USO acted as an architect of the gender roles and sexual codes that shaped the "greatest generation."Combining archival research with extensive firsthand accounts from among the hundreds of thousands of female USO volunteers, Winchell shows how the organization both reflected and shaped 1940s American society at large. The USO had hoped that respectable feminine companionship would limit venereal disease rates in the military. To that end, Winchell explains, USO recruitment practices characterized white middle-class women as sexually respectable, thus implying that the sexual behavior of working-class women and women of color was suspicious. In response, women of color sought to redefine the USO's definition of beauty and respectability, challenging the USO's vision of a home front that was free of racial, gender, and sexual conflict.Despite clashes over class and racial ideologies of sex and respectability, Winchell finds that most hostesses benefited from the USO's chaste image. In exploring the USO's treatment of female volunteers, Winchell not only brings the hostesses' stories to light but also supplies a crucial missing piece for understanding the complex ways in which the war both destabilized and restored certain versions of social order.
538 |a Mode of access: World Wide Web.
650 0|a Electronic books.
7102 |a hoopla digital.
85640|u https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11719435?utm_source=MARC&Lid=hh4435|z Instantly available on hoopla.
85642|z Cover image|u https://d2snwnmzyr8jue.cloudfront.net/csp_9780807887264_180.jpeg