Fabriksflickans bildning. Gerda Meyerson och Föreningen Hem för arbeterskor 1898-1923.
The purpose of this master thesis is to describe and analyse Gerda Meyerson's educational project for young working-class women in Stockholm between 1898 and 1923. In 1898 Meyerson founded a home for young working-class women where her project could be implemented. It is the educational practises at this home and Meyerson's own words about working womens way of life thats in focus of this investigation. From a class and gender perspective the thesis examines the problems, the solutions and finally the goals of Meyerson's intentions for the young women. The problems were mainly the womens lack of self-esteem and bad moral reputation in society. In order to change their way of behaving and thinking, and thereby improve their reputation, Meyerson encouraged the women to move to her homes and there attend different uplifting courses and lectures and read, what was considered, sensible books. Important were also the social interactions between women of different classes, which took place at these homes. These social interactions were highly educational and were intended to change the womens, often, negative attitudes towards each other. The young women should thereby be fostered towards a lifestyle of cleanliness, moral female superiority and ultimately, marriage and motherhood. These ideals stemmed mainly from the middle classes' values of womanhood, which Meyerson represented.