Research Description:

A Question of Identity: Aletta Jabocs and the International Women's Movement

The question of identity is present in both individuals and groups in all forms: literature, philosophy, institutions and socialization. How do we categorize our multiple and fluid identities? Is this a fixed process, independent from the outside world, or how does it change throughout time and space?

The case of the International Women's Movement of the early 20th Century serves as a good case study for this battle of identities. For my research, I will look both at the movement as a whole, and at individuals, to analyze the influence of their identities, as well as the value and priority placed to them in different contexts. A central individual in my research is Dr. Aletta Jacobs, the first female Doctor of the Netherlands, and fighter for freedom and gender equality. Like Jacobs, the leaders of the movement, as well as the followers, had to confront a conflict of identities in order to rationalize their cause.

Some of these include nationality, gender norms, religion, family background, socio-economic status, sexuality, social mores, and language. What did these women have in common, and what did they sacrifice in order to create an international movement that was to change the way modern politics are conducted?

In order to answer these premises, I will conduct an interdisciplinary study, including texts not only from gender studies, but also from a range of social sciences. I will also travel to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where I will visit the "International Information Center and Archives for the Women's Movement," along with my mentor. This archive has valuable documents, diaries, correspondences, and photographs that will provide first-hand accounts and information on the movement, and individual idiosyncrasies.