The feminization of American culture

This book offers a fresh perspective on the origins of modern consumer culture, tracing its roots to Victorian America's sentimental society. Ann Douglas explores the alliance between middle-class women and liberal Protestant clergy, two groups marginalized by the era's entrepreneurial forces. She reveals how they cultivated a realm of 'influence,' becoming cultural custodians and promoting qualities like timidity and piety. The book provides a missing social history of the Protestant minister in the Northeast and examines the magazines and books that shaped the 'feminine' role during this period.