The New Woman, Her New Clothes, and Her New Education: Missionary Encounters and Consuming the Exotic

The New Woman appeared on the world stage between 1850 and 1950. One of her distinguishing features was new habits of consumption. Outside of Europe and the United States, these new forms of consumption were tied to new forms of education. Missionary education played a significant role in the process of this education, promoting competition among other schools, and creating a discourse about women in the press. In turn, missionary women were also profoundly affected by these encounters.