Dulcinea in the Factory

Ann Farnsworth-Alvear is Associate Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania.

“[I]n her analysis of the development of the different stages of industrial capitalism in MedellÍn, the author skillfully unravels the social negotiations between capitalist and worker, and in the process she does something that many engendered studies fail to accomplish: she demonstrates rather than merely asserts that gender really does matter in social relations and can have an important effect on economic processes and political outcomes. . . . Although well-grounded in feminist theory and the cultural studies literature, in its eclectic use of sources and broad vision, this book conveys a sense of the totality of the past, a sense that is the essence of the historical enterprise itself.” - James P. Brennan, American Historical Review “[A]n elegant, theoretically sophisticated analysis of the industrialization process in MedillÍn’s textile mills during the first half of the twentieth century. . . . Dulcinea in the Factory deserves to be widely read. . . . The writing and analysis is also happily lucid and engrossing, making it ideal for adoption in both undergraduate and graduate courses.” - Mary RoldÁn, Hispanic American Historical Review “Ann Farnsworth-Alvear’s well-written and carefully-argued study of MedillÍn’s textile industry makes crucial interventions in gender and labor history. . . . Farnsworth-Alvear has produced an important book that adds to the vibrant literature on gender and labor in Latin America. Her insights on the complexity of worker consciousness will doubtless spur healthy debates on how best to apprehend workers’ lives.” - Karin Alejandra Rosemblatt, The Americas “Dulcinea in the Factory is a magnificent achievement, a remarkably accomplished piece of historical writing.”-William C. Roseberry, New York University“A major contribution to Colombian history, both substantive and methodological. Dulcinea in the Factory takes the reader inside the culturally specific and evolving conceptualizations of femininity, paternalism, morality, honor, and modernity in the industrializing city of MedellÍn.”-Catherine LeGrand, McGill University “This book not only revises Latin American labor and gender history but sets a new standard for social history. Taking advantage of all contemporary debates about accommodation and resistance and bringing them to a new level of sophistication, Ann Farnsworth-Alvear combines deep theoretical insights with rich ethnographic material.”-Temma Kaplan, State University of New York, Stony Brook “This compelling study represents a major advance, indeed the maturation of the ‘new social history of national capitalism.’ Farnsworth-Alvear provides a deft accounting of complex exchanges, dialogues, and social negotiations in a changing crucible of class and gender relations.”-Michael F. JimÉnez, University of Pittsburgh “[A]n elegant, theoretically sophisticated analysis of the industrialization process in MedillÍn’s textile mills during the first half of the twentieth century. . . . Dulcinea in the Factory deserves to be widely read. . . . The writing and analysis is also happily lucid and engrossing, making it ideal for adoption in both undergraduate and graduate courses.” - Mary Roldán (Hispanic American Historical Review) “[I]n her analysis of the development of the different stages of industrial capitalism in MedellÍn, the author skillfully unravels the social negotiations between capitalist and worker, and in the process she does something that many engendered studies fail to accomplish: she demonstrates rather than merely asserts that gender really does matter in social relations and can have an important effect on economic processes and political outcomes. . . . Although well-grounded in feminist theory and the cultural studies literature, in its eclectic use of sources and broad vision, this book conveys a sense of the totality of the past, a sense that is the essence of the historical enterprise itself.” - James P. Brennan (American Historical Review) “Ann Farnsworth-Alvear’s well-written and carefully-argued study of MedillÍn’s textile industry makes crucial interventions in gender and labor history. . . . Farnsworth-Alvear has produced an important book that adds to the vibrant literature on gender and labor in Latin America. Her insights on the complexity of worker consciousness will doubtless spur healthy debates on how best to apprehend workers’ lives.” - Karin Alejandra Rosemblatt (The Americas)

• List of Illustrations viiiPreface xiAcknowledgments xivIntroduction 1Part I. The Place of Female Factory Labor in Medellin One. Medellin, 1900-1960 39Two. The Making of La Mujer Obrera, 1910-20 73Three. New Workers, New Workplaces, 1905-35 102Part II. The Making and Unmaking of La Moral Four. Strikes, 1935-36 123Five. Gender by the Rules: Anticommunism and La Moral, 1936-53 148Six. La Moral in Practice, 1936-53 181Seven. Masculinization and El Control, 1953-60 209Conclusion 229Appendix: Persons Interviewed 239Notes 241Bibliography 283Index 297