This Issues in Communication narrative is designed to provoke individual thought or discussion about concepts raised in the chapter.

During the last part of the nineteenth century, a prestigious Ohio banker raised his daughter Florence as if she were the son he would never have. He trained her in the ways of business, instilling in her a sense of independence and a spirit of self-reliance. This upbringing proved effective when she gravitated toward male-dominated courses in school such as math, surveying, and science. A talented musician as well, she enrolled in the Cincinnati Conservatory at 17 to study piano.

Her ambitious plans for a career in the arts ended abruptly when her mother’s illness forced her to return home. Embittered, disdainful of housework, and plagued by quarrels with her dominating father, Florence didn’t remain home long. At 19, she was rebellious, pregnant, and unmarried. It was not until she was 30 that this single mom found her ideal husband. The good-looking editor of the local paper, and five years her junior, he shared her many interests.

Florence, always an independent soul, refused to wear a wedding band (she would never “belong” to anyone) and at the wedding reception announced her goal to make her husband president of the United States. Appropriately he gave her the nicknames “Boss” and “Duchess.” Florence’s opinionated father could not help but broadcast his view that his new son-in-law, Warren, would not amount to much. Warren’s well-known reputation as a salacious lady’s man was reconfirmed throughout his marriage by his highly publicized philandering and rumors of several illegitimate children. The prophecy of his failure might have come true but for Florence’s persistence.

Overlooking his indiscretions, she used her position as his wife to advance the cause of women, keep racists out of appointed offices, and to reform prisons. When Warren G. Harding died in office, Florence was at his side not just as his wife but as the First Lady who reopened the White House to the public, became a master of presidential public relations, and was the architect of her husband’s short-lived presidency.*

Apply what you have learned about self-awareness and self-concept as you ponder and discuss the following questions: How did the feedback Florence received from her father appear to affect her self-concept? What type of feedback did he give her? How do you think Florence would describe her self- concept? How has your family influenced your self-concept?