Magdalene Lauridsen (1873-1957): Danish Pioneer in the Field of Home Economics

Magdalene Lauridsen (1873–1957) founded the first Danish school of home economics 1895 and later, in 1903, the first teacher training college of home economics and housekeeping. She initiated the Association of Teachers in Housekeeping and Home Economics, and the Danish Home Economics and
Housekeeping Movement. She fought for the educational rights of women from especially rural areas and was very active in representing the women’s movement in local politics. In this paper, we ask, what characterised her activities in a wider historical perspective and how did she happen to play this particular role in adult
education? We analyse these questions by drawing on Nordic studies of women’s role in contemporary society and thus frame it by the history sociology of gender. The empirical material includes both primary and secondary sources to illuminate the life and activities of Magdalene Lauridsen. We conclude the analysis by
emphasizing the influences from abroad and from growing up in an active Folk High School environment that made her a pioneer in adult education.

KEYWORDS: Home economics, woman pioneer, folk high school movement, education in rural areas, domestication.