This thesis examines the social and cultural implications of a debutante ball that takes place annually in St. Louis, Missouri. The ball is run by a men's social organization and because of this, an interesting power dynamic is created between the men in the organization and their daughters, who participate in the ball. Through personal interviews and scholarly research, the effect of the ball on ... read morethese women's lives at this time is central to my analysis. Why do women still participate? What does it mean to them? What does this say about their families and social location? How does their participation fit into the contemporary feminist discourse?read less
