美国建国初期女性慈善社团与白人女性公民身份的初步建构——以波士顿科班社为中心的考察

19世纪初期,受国内外局势的推动,女性慈善社团在美国大量涌现。成立于1811年的波士顿科班社就是这股浪潮的产物。以科班社为代表的女性慈善社团在美国白人女性公民身份的初步建构中起到了重要作用。女性慈善社团的日常运作为白人女性提供了扮演美国公民的机会与训练。在起草与签署社团章程、向立法机构请愿并以法人身份行使法律和经济权利、通过选举和表决来解决社团事务的过程中,白人女性确立起公民意识。此外,女性慈善社团开展的活动进一步为女性成员提供了以公民身份行动的平台。通过参与慈善活动,美国白人女性能够把经济优势转化为公共影响力,关注家庭以外的公共事务,进入公共领域。公民意识的确立与公民身份的践行,为日后美国白人女性追求完整公民身份奠定了基础。

Female Benevolent Societies and the Preliminary Construction of Female Citizenship during the Early Historical Period of America

In the first half of the 19 th century,lots of female benevolent societies sprang up due to the domestic and overseas conditions.Boston Corban Society which was founded in 1811 was the product of this trend.The female benevolent societies represented by the Corban Society played a significant role in the preliminary formation of white women's citizenship.The routine operation of the female benevolent societies provided the opportunities and exercises of performing the American citizen for the white women.Through drafting and signing the constitution,petitioning to local legislature and exerting the legal and economic rights as a corporation,and dealing with associational affairs by election,white benevolent women developed their identities as American citizens.Furthermore,they gained the chance to act as citizen.Taking part in the charitable activities,they transformed their economic advantages into public influence.They also paid attention to public affairs outside their little household and entered the public sphere.The formation of civic identity and the action as citizen laid the foundation for American white women to pursue their full citizenship in the future.