The Uniform of Women’s Gymnasium Employees in the Vision of the Heads of Institutions in Kyiv Educational District (late 19th — early 20th century)

Abstract

Modern-day clothing is an all-encompassing marker of social identities. We deepen the usual political economic and socio-demographic analysis of Ukrainian society with a cultural one, which acquires a significant mobilizing resource. The source base of the study is the materials of clerical correspondence of the trustee of Kyiv educational district with the heads of women’s educational institutions and the Heads of the Pedagogical Councils of the female gymnasiums and pro-gymnasiums of the Ministry of National Education regarding the introduction of uniforms for women who worked in women’s secondary education institutions. The hermeneutic method and the constructivist tradition of discourse analysis, as well as the latest approaches of Western feminist theory, were identified as research methods for the implementation of research tasks. Gender-specific experience should become an integral part of historical knowledge. The opinions of heads of women’s educational institutions of the Kyiv educational district regarding the introduction of uniforms for their female employees were studied. It was established that the absolute majority (95.65 %) of managers supported the proposal, as well as the fact of wearing uniforms by staff in some female gymnasiums without sanction from above. Self-affirmation of female teachers in the service took place through fashionable clothes, which contrasted with their small salary. Self-affirmation of female teachers in the service took place through fashionable clothes, which contrasted with their small salary. The latent dissatisfaction of the bosses with the fashion of female educators in institutions was revealed. It is substantiated that the “highly desirable / useful” introduction of uniforms to female educators was caused by individual and group level factors. The socio-economic and corporate-ethical motives of the chiefs prove the difficult gender relations in the teaching teams, which the uniform of female employees of gymnasiums and pro-gymnasiums had to correct. The recommended uniforms of female educators provided for the functional parameters of its cut, the minimization of decorative details and, most importantly, the dark blue color of the fabric.