I interviewed my mother for the Oral History project.

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Mike Russell

022707580

4/24/03

Oral History Project

        I interviewed my mother for the Oral History project. I did not know the extent of her involvement with the feminist movement nor did I know if she had even strong feelings about the issues involved. However I thought given her age she made her a rather ideal narrator for the period of second wave feminism whether or not she was deeply involved. If anything I knew she could provide a unique view that might vary from the typical views of the time.

        I asked her the basic biographical information before starting and these are the answers she gave.

        Birthplace: Rockville Centre, NY

        Birth date: 6/24/50

        Gender: Female

        Education: 2 years Niagara University

        Marital status: Married

        Occupation: Staff secretary Newton-Wellesley Hospital

        Religious Affiliation: Irish Catholic

        Political Party: Democrat

        I knew prior to the interview that my mother was not deeply involved in the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s. However she grew up in a very liberal atmosphere that I thought would put her closer to the movement than a good majority of the public. I soon learned that this was really not the case. My mother was quick to tell me how little she thought the feminist movement actually affected her, her routine or her values. She was firm in this explanation and she seemed to take some pride in this fact. That she was this adamant about her distance from the organized movement is an interested detail of the interview that I will cover later.

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Early into the interview my questions quicker became broader and broader as I realized the detachment from the feminist movement my mom had experienced. Soon I was asking the rather broad question: How much would you say the (feminist) movement affected your day to day life? My mother replied with an abrupt “None.” This was done not to be terse, as it may sound, but she was being blunt to emphasize the fact that she had no connections. Knowing my mother would not answer in the affirmative any questions pertaining to her association with the feminist movement I changed the tone ...

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