The Influence of the First Women Sociologists in the Development of Science

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Female Figures in Early Sociology
Modern Views on Women Sociologists
Conclusion
References

Women are often overlooked figures in sociology, rarely getting mentions in the literature on the subject. However, numerous women stood at the foundation of sociology and inspired many of the ideas used today. This essay aims to explore the views of early women sociologists, the impact they could have made with broader recognition and whether modern women have overcome the issues discovered by the founders.

Female Figures in Early Sociology

All of the following women have made substantial contributions to sociology as well as other areas: Harriet Martineau, Jane Addams, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Anna Cooper, Ida Wells-Barnett, Marianne Weber, Beatrice Potter Webb and the women of the Chicago School. However, only Harriet Martineau is frequently cited in scholarly works, and primarily as the translator of Auguste Comte’s works. However, the contributions of the others did not disappear entirely.

The Garden Cities movement spoke out against the congestion and social dislocation of the city. The vision of its founder, Ebenezer Howard, was influential and led to the creation of new ways of urban planning. However, according to Jarvis (2014), his ideas were inspired by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and her critique of androcentrism. Her ideas had gone mostly unnoticed despite multiple publications.

In contrast to Gilman, Beatrice Potter Webb had never described herself as a feminist. According to Delaney (2014), “Her simple reasoning for not identifying with the feminist movement was because she personally never experienced anything negative resulting from her gender” (p. 145). Mostly concerning herself with empirical research of poverty, she declared that social conditions caused poverty as opposed to the popular idea of personal unfitness.

W.E.B. Du Bois was an influential sociologist who made important contributions to the study of race and sociology in general. Jane Addams, however, was just as important to the theory, maintaining a complex relationship with Du Bois throughout its creation according to Boles, Hopps, Clayton & Brown (2016). Her contributions, however, had not been officially recognized until the late 20^th century.

One important unifying feature about all of the above examples is that their views have not been forgotten. Even though the female researchers have often been dismissed and not mentioned in contemporary literature, their ideas were influential. The contributions of women to classical sociology have made a significant impact and become part of the canon.

Modern Views on Women Sociologists

Nowadays, the contributions of women to early sociology are being reevaluated. Researchers of classical theory such as Delaney (2014) include detailed reviews of the contributions of various women who stood at the beginning of the discipline. The role of these early founders is being investigated, and proper recognition is given to them.

Meanwhile, the role of women in modern sociology is quickly growing. According to Ritzer and Stepnisky (2017), “implications of feminist theory are moving increasingly into the mainstream of the discipline; engaging all its subspecialties; influencing many of its long-established theories, both macro and micro [sic]” (p. 223). The difficulties encountered by the female founders of the discipline appear to have been overcome.

Conclusion

For a long time, the role of the early female sociologists had been downplayed, with little mention of their names in scientific works. However, their ideas influenced the beginning of the discipline and became part of the classical theory. At present, work is also ongoing to identify their vital contributions and give credit where it’s due. The hurdles encountered by early female sociologists have been overcome, and the feminist theory is making a significant impact on sociology as a whole.

References

Boles, D., Hopps, J., Clayton, O., & Brown, S. (2016). The dance between Addams and Du Bois: Collaboration and controversy in a consequential 20th century relationship. Phylon, 53(2), 34-53.

Delaney, T. (2014). Classical and contemporary social theory. New York: Routledge.

Jarvis, H. (2014). Transforming the sexist city: Non-sexist communities of practice. Analize: Journal of Gender and Feminist Studies, 3(17), 7-27.

Ritzer, G., Stepnisky, J. (2017). Classical sociological theory. SAGE Publications.

Click Here To Order Now!

The Influence of the First Women Sociologists in the Development of Science

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)