Myra Jehlen sees much historical and literary scholarship about women in the mid-1980s as paradoxical. This stems from what she describes as an inherent alienation in which feminist writers are torn between critical comment and ideological opposition.
In the second segment [14:30], Ernestine Friedl describes the changing roles and functions of women in the modern world, with respect to political participation, economic improvement, and social empowerment.
At the time of this interview, Jehlen, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1985-86), was professor of English at Rutgers University.
Friedl, a Fellow at the Center (1985-86), was professor of anthropology at Princeton University.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
