grew up in a conservative era where women were meant to be prudent and secluded from politics, education, and jobs typically for men (Downey, 2009). She was part of an era where her social and moral attitudes were impacted by social crusades of the early 20th century, where women were increasingly active in social reform (Berg, 1989).
Perkins grew up with a father who was fair-minded and a mother that volunteered at church and helped the poor neighbors. Perkins was given freedom to express herself