Huston, Perdita (Constance) 1936-2001

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HUSTON, Perdita (Constance) 1936-2001

PERSONAL:

Born May 2, 1936, in Portland, ME; died December 4, 2001, in Silver Spring, MD; daughter of Thomas Augustus and Marion Althea (Brooks) Huston; married Yves Champey, January 2, 1958 (divorced); married Marcel Diennet, September 1, 1972 (divorced); children: (first marriage) Francoise Maude, Jeanne-Marie, (second marriage) Pierre-Marc. Education: University of Colorado, 1954-55; University Grenoble (France), certificate, 1956; Ecoles Supierieure de Journalisme, (Paris, France), 1958, journalism degree.

CAREER:

English-language assistant to Tunisian minister, Tunis, 1956-60; French Army, social worker in Ain Mokra, Algeria, 1960-61; Life, Paris, France, assistant to chief, 1961-63, reporter, 1966-67; New Yorker, research assistant, 1963; United Nations, Algiers, consular FAO, 1963-66; Time, Inc., Paris, France, corporate public affairs director, 1969-71; American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, Washington, DC, director of women's programs, 1971-74; Festival U.S.A. and Horizons '76 programs, director, 1974-76; freelance writer, 1963-66, 1976-78. Polio Village Camps Foundation, Inc., Memorial National Women's Political Caucus, Federally Employed Women, secretary-treasurer; Peace Corps, regional director, for North Africa, Near East, Asia and Pacific, 1978-81; scholar-in-residence at Wheaton College, MA; public affairs director for World Conservation Union, Switzerland, and International Planned Parenthood Federation, London, 1985-90; Peace Corps, country director in Mali and Bulgaria, 1997-2000.

WRITINGS:

Message from the Village, Epoch B Foundation (New York, NY), 1978.

Third World Women Speak Out: Interviews in Six Countries, Praeger (New York, NY), 1979.

Motherhood by Choice: Pioneers in Women's Health, Feminist Press at the City University of York (New York, NY), 1992.

The Right to Choose: Pioneers in Women's Health & Planning, Earthscan Publications (London, England), 1992.

Families As We Are: Conversations from Around the World, Feminist Press at the City University of York (New York, NY), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS:

Perdita Huston had quite a lifetime of accomplishments before her untimely death to ovarian cancer in 2001 at the age of sixty-five. Huston was an advocate for impoverished women, bringing life to their voices. Huston is probably best known for her groundbreaking work on issues of family throughout the world. She did not get caught up in the scientific aspects of research, but rather on the human condition. She championed the right of the illiterate in Third-World countries to be heard, believing that they had a lot of wisdom to share. She was incensed by the planners who would come into these third world conditions with lofty ideas of how things needed to be changed without once giving pause to what the people living there had to say about it. She believed that although these people did not have the resources necessary to make change, they did have the knowledge of what needed to be done.

" Third World Women Speak Out is aimed at informing those delivering aid to the Third World about the problems and aspirations of women in these countries," explained a critic in the Harvard Educational Review. For this book, Huston sought out women of a variety of social statures in six impoverished countries and spoke with them regarding their societies and lifestyles, as well as their hopes and dreams. Dan Chekki in Sociology explained, "Despite differences in their socioeconomic, political, and cultural settings the women have similar problems." Chekki noted that Huston uses common terminology to speak to a general audience and "this volume stands out in its approach, method and content." Chekki surmised that although Huston "seems to over-generalize her ideas to make them apply to all women and men" the book "offers valuable insights for social scientists and planners.…and it should be of interest to all those involved in the process of development and change." A critic for the Harvard Educational Review also voiced concern for Huston's somewhat overpowering tone in the book, which may lead to a misinterpretation of what some of the women said. Library Journal's Beverly Miller "Highly recommended" the book, stating that "the rich and varied stories of twelve previously uncelebrated family planning pioneers from both Western and Third World nations.…are fascinating." Susan G. Allison continued with the praise for Huston's work, revealing that Third World Women Speak Out "is both a story and a tribute to past efforts in the field …it is a 'call to arms' for women's leadership in the social issues of our times." The Harvard Educational Review critic summed it up best by observing that Huston "does not pretend to offer scientific data, but rather to present voices which are not usually heard or heeded in the drive toward development."

In The Right to Choose: Pioneers in Women's Health and Family Planning Huston discusses the various catalysts leading to the lack of family planning programs throughout the world. She relates how religious and communistic strongholds have created a barrier to talking about the issue of family planning in many parts of the world. According to Maggie Jones in New Scientist, Huston's view is that "women—poor as well as rich—had the right to choose if and when to have children." Jones continued, "for many of the pioneers, dedication to the cause of family planning came about through their own suffering." It is this passion that pushed these women to fight for their cause, but according to Huston, it seems it was a losing battle. These women were unable to break through the steel barriers created by government and the cultures where the women lived. Jones' final assessment of the book was that Huston "draws some interesting lessons from the experience of the past and the reality faced by many women in today's world for whom the right to control their fertility remains a distant dream."

Huston's final book, Families as We Are, chronicles the lives of several generations of families in various countries. It is a look at "how individuals are coping with changes in concepts of human rights and with economic transformations brought about by increased technology," stated Vanessa Bush in Booklist. These changes not only make a difference individually, they also impact the family as a whole. Huston interviews "ordinary people, who so seldom have our attention," wrote Sharon Dirlam of Peace Corps Writers. Dirlam went on to say that governments need to look at this book, "that at least some might see the need to support families of all kinds through these troubled times." Dirlam relayed that Huston not only writes about biological families, but also writes of families of circumstance thrown together by "a common bond" but who clamor together for the love and support they receive. She stated that "Huston recognizes the family as a constant force, although it takes a variety of forms." Library Journal's Paula Dempsey called the book "an important contribution to collections on the family, multiculturalism, internal policy, and sociology." The chapters of Families are "arranged by topics," commented Dirlam, that "focus on the elderly, women's changing roles, men's changing roles, ways in which childhood is changing, environmental issues, health and politics, disintegrating families, and finally, public policies." Dirlam wrapped up her praise of the book, stating, "The inclusion of family photographs enriches the book. These priceless pictures capture the essence of their subjects, their love for each other, and their pride in being chosen."

Huston was passionate about her ideas of how to make change to bridge "the gap between the developed and the developing world," according to Rushworth M. Kidder in the Christian Science Monitor. In the same interview Kidder relayed that Huston "points to three qualities most needed to close the gap: a willingness to listen, a rethinking of male-female relationships, and what she calls 'nature literacy'.… respect for both human equality and for natural environment." "How on earth …can you expect to live in peace and security in a world where two thirds of the population is in dire straits?" she questioned in a round table discussion for Ms. In her lifetime she made every attempt to answer that question.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July 2001, Vanessa Bush, review of Families as We Are, p.1957.

Christian Science Monitor, July 12, 1989, Rushworth M. Kidder, "Listen to the Developing World," p. 12.

Harvard Educational Review, November 1979, review of Third World Women Speak Out, p. 557.

Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide, May 1993, Susan G. Allison, review of Motherhood by Choice, p. 24.

Library Journal, November 1, 1992, Beverly Miller, review of Motherhood by Choice, pp. 108-110; August 2001, Paula R. Dempsey, review of Families as We Are, p142.

Ms., March 1985, "If Women Had a Foreign Policy," p.41.

New Scientist, June 27, 1992, Maggie Jones,"Planning for the Future," p. 44.

Sociology, January-February 1980, Dan A. Chekki, review of Third World Women Speak Out, p. 34.