This panel examines how three groups of women—domestic workers, home economists, and Catholic nuns—emerged as feminist actors in the long 1970s but have yet to be included in the historiography of second-wave feminism and social movements. The three papers in this panel will broaden histories of feminist activism in the long 1970s by highlighting how these women, primarily defined by their professions, advocated for social movements and created distinct strains of feminism grounded in professional expertise.

Jonathan Perkins’s paper illustrates how the Detroit Household Workers Organization, excluded from protective legislation and ignored by scholars, advocated for themselves and participated in the larger labor union movement while still prioritizing local needs. Kathleen McHugh’s paper examines how home economists used their professional credentials to lend legitimacy to mothers on welfare, advocating for reform at the highest levels of government, which were often off-limits to grassroots activists. Lauren Barbato’s work on the National Coalition of American Nuns’ activism promoting ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and endorsing pro-choice options challenges interpretations of Catholic identity in the 1970s.

When historians limit themselves to the categories of liberal feminists, radical feminists, and antifeminists, these groups of women are cast aside in favor of activists who fit neatly into the narrative of second wave feminism. The women featured in this panel occupied a space in between these categories and used their specialized knowledge and lived experience to advocate for themselves and others as part of the social movements of the long 1970s. They in turn created their own unique forms of feminism based on their relationship to social movements and their labor, professional careers, and religious standing. Domestic workers in Detroit aligned themselves with social movement unionism after mainstream labor unions neglected them, producing a hybrid vision of feminist labor activism. Home economists centered their activism around causes related to the home and families, where they could claim a high level of expertise, developing their own approach towards feminism that centered the domestic sphere without attempting to radicalize it. Meanwhile, the National Coalition of American Nuns blended their activism on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment and pro-choice causes to create a distinct, liberal form of Catholic feminism unencumbered by the restrictions of male bishops. These narratives of feminist activism show that there was more than just one than one interpretation of labor feminism, welfare activism, and pro-life Catholicism.

Together, these papers highlight the importance of expertise on domestic labor in shaping debates about working conditions during this period, as domestic workers needed to advocate for themselves and home economists need to assist welfare rights groups in arguing for the importance of women’s work in the home. Further, home economists and Catholic religious sisters stressed the importance of gendered knowledge and authority in shaping debates about women’s rights, welfare, and abortion, amidst challenges from male bishops and legislators. These new perspectives and strains of feminism present in this panel will give scholars a deeper understanding of the actors and motivations present in 1970s social movements.