An American pragmatist and feminist, Hull-House founder Jane Addams (1860-1935) came of age in time of increasing tensions and division between segments of the American society, a division that was reflected in debates about educational reform. In the midst of this diversity, Addams saw the profoundly interdependent nature of all social and political interaction, and she aligned her efforts to support, emphasize and increase this interdependence. Education was one of the ways she relied on to overcome class disparity, as well as to increase interaction between classes. Her theories about the interdependent nature of living in a democracy provided a backdrop for her educational theory. Education, she thought, needed to produce people who …show more content…

Her efforts to avoid class distinctions within the movement have also been criticized (Addams 65).
While industrialization and communication allowed specialization to increase, this so-called interdependence was based on more financial dependency than on a shared vision of a common national project. Jane Addams wrote; "theoretically, the division of labor makes men more interdependent and human by drawing them together into a unity of purpose." However she continued; "the mere mechanical fact of interdependence amounts to nothing." I appreciate Jane Addams and her life pursuit of women's rights and social reform in America. As a woman growing up in a society which was influenced by her life, her work has infinitely affected my life. I can voice my opinion in a public forum, I am guaranteed an equal minimum salary, I can go to the
University of Houston and pursue a career, and I can do all of this and not be afraid of what society believes. I am really impressed by her opinions of a woman's views of her ties to a family and how they affect her wanting to be influential in society. That she does not have to choose one over the other. A woman does not have to be totally against her ties to a family life to be an independent and powerful force in society. For example, a woman's love for her children should be extended to