The Backbone of the Modern U.S. Posture Movement: Nurses as Promoters and Adherents

Time: 12:00-1:30pm

Location: Room 2019, Floor 2U, Claire Fagin Hall

A radical change concerning posture norms occurred during the late nineteenth century in the United States. The relaxed, languid statures commonly seen among the well-mannered gave way to posture standards that demanded straight, upright verticality. One impetus for this change came from medical and health care professionals who, in utilizing the new sciences of anthropometry and medical statistics, linked slouching backs to poor health. This paper will demonstrate the centrality of nurses—both as research subjects and experts—to the rise of these new posture norms in the U.S.