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Constructing The “Social Evil”: An Analysis Of Anti-Prostitution Crusades In Progressive-Era Chicago, 1907-1915, Amanda J. Swygart-Hobaugh M.L.S., Ph.D.

Mandy (Amanda) Swygart-Hobaugh

This study analyzes anti-prostitution crusades in Chicago during the Progressive Era, using a social constructionist theoretical perspective to explore how crusaders constructed prostitution as a social problem. My multi-faceted theoretical framework drew on both social constructionist theories as well as social movement theories examining collective action frames as master frames. For organizational purposes, the separate analytical chapters examine different groups of crusaders: the crusaders against “white slavery,” those battling “vice,” and a group of Hull House women crusading against the “social evil.” My analyses revealed the following: (1) broader discourses present during the Progressive Era shaped the contours of the …