The social settlements are in many cases situated in congested city
districts, and they have always dealt very directly with the family
groups in their neighborhood. Settlements have, in fact, probably more
than any other social agency, tried to become acquainted with the
Old-World background of their neighbors in order to establish friendly
relationships. The settlement ideal has included the preservation of
the dignity and self-esteem of the immigrant, while attempting to
modify his habits when necessary and giving him some preparation for
citizenship.
[Illustration: LITHUANIAN MOTHERS HAVE COME TO A SETTLEMENT CLASS]
Classes in English and Civics, mothers' clubs, and housekeeping
classes have been part of the contribution of the settlement to the
adjustment of family life. Seventeen settlements in Chicago, for
example, have conducted during the last year 36 clubs and classes of
this kind for non-English-speaking women. Among these there are 9
English classes, 8 sewing classes, 10 cooking classes, and 9 mothers'
clubs, with varied programs.
These classes have been conducted with a flexibility that is often
lacking in the public-school classes. They are usually held in the
daytime at the hour most convenient for the group concerned, and by
combining social features with instruction the interest of the women
is maintained longer than would otherwise be possible.
Sometimes the classes are conducted in a foreign language, but they
are generally taught in English, occasionally with the assistance of
an interpreter. The classes are usually small, so that considerable
personal attention is possible. The season during which it seems
possible to hold such classes lasts from September or October until
June, and it seems necessary to expend considerable effort each year
in order to reorganize them.
Trained domestic-science teachers are used for most of the cooking and
sewing classes. The English teachers and mothers' club leaders are,
however, usually residents in the settlement or other volunteers with
little training or experience in teaching adults. They often find it
quite difficult to hold the group together. Very valuable work is
done, however, especially in the cooking classes. Many such classes
were organized to teach conservation cooking; for instance, in an
Italian class, the women were taught the use of substitutes for wheat
that could be used in macaroni; in another the cooking teacher took
Italian recipes and tried to reproduce their flavors with American
products which are cheaper and more available than the Italian
articles.
What is gained in flexibility may, of course, be counterbalanced by a
loss of unity. The settlement teaching lacks, on the whole, a unity
and organization that the public school should be better able to
provide.