Dr. Marcela Vignoli, “The Decline of an Exclusively Male Cultural Sociability: Northern Argentina, 1880-1916”

Dr. Marcela Vignoli, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, “The Decline of an Exclusively Male Cultural Sociability: Northern Argentina, 1880-1916”

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, residents of the northern city of Tucumán in Argentina actively participated in cultural associations as a way to developing genuine cultural interests, upward social mobility, a sense of belonging, and an advancement of their learning in a region with no possibilities for higher education (as there was no university near the province until 1914). The common feature of all of these associations is that though they formally appealed for female participation through their by-laws, they appear to have been exclusively made up by men. However, the fact that women were not recorded in the minute books as formal members does not mean that they were not close to this dynamic world of sociability. Drawing from the records of these associations, this talk will analyze what we might call the decline of an exclusively masculine sociability, and at the same time reveal the challenges brought by women educated to speak with their own voices.