A popular genre from colonial times to 1900, the conduct book provides the youthful reader with authoritative guidance about right moral, religious, and gender role behavior. With the aim of teaching the young what they need to know--and believe--about society's expectations for the ideal young man ...
A popular genre from colonial times to 1900, the conduct book provides the youthful reader with authoritative guidance about right moral, religious, and gender role behavior. With the aim of teaching the young what they need to know--and believe--about society's expectations for the ideal young man and woman, the genre codified "true" American manhood and womanhood. This guide provides an analytic and historical overview of the conduct book and its cultural work in America. With an annotated bibliography of over 500 books, it provides easy and direct access to conduct books for adults of each sex and for children.