`Sara Delamont eloquently explores the impact of feminism on sociology and powerfully argues that it has been marginalised. A "must read" for all sociologists searching for a complete account of the development of the discipline′ - Emma Wincup, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent at Canterbury `This is a model of what a textbook should be, for Delamont states what she intends to do, does it with clarity, summarises succinctly and provides interesting and pertinent references′ - Sociological Research Online This book explores the achievements of British feminist sociology in theory, methods and empirical research. It outlines the barriers to the development of feminism and explores contemporary challenges. It provides an unrivalled guide to the origins of feminism in the discipline of sociology, analyses the uneasy relationships between feminists and the founding fathers and elucidates the opportunities and challenges presented by post-modernism. The book was written in the spirit of trying to be even-handed in its discussion of the various schools of feminism. It draws on a variety of empirical areas, from science to stratification and from healths and illness to the professions to illustrate the depth and vitality of feminist perspectives.

Black Feminist Sociology offers new writings by established and emerging scholars working in a Black feminist tradition. The book centers Black feminist sociology (BFS) within the sociology canon and widens is to feature Black feminist sociologists both outside the US and the academy. Inspired by a BFS lens, the essays are critical, personal, political and oriented toward social justice. Key themes include the origins of BFS, expositions of BFS orientations to research that extend disciplinary norms, and contradictions of the pleasures and costs of such an approach both academically and personally. Authors explore their own sociological legacy of intellectual development to raise critical questions of intellectual thought and self-reflexivity. The book highlights the dynamism of BFS so future generations of scholars can expand upon and beyond the book’s key themes.

The Feminist Perspectives Series seeks to provide concise, accessible and engaging introductions to key feminist topics and debates. The texts in the series are designed to be used on a wide range of courses touching feminist issues and are written by experienced teachers who are also well known in their respective fields. Each book in the series includes the most up-to-date statistics, research data, key sources and suggestions for further reading. Feminist Perspectives on Sociology examines how sociology has been transformed under the influence of feminism in recent years. This transformation consists both of a critique of established areas and the opening up of new ones. Areas and issues covered include approaches to knowledge and research, patriarchal relations, work in and outside the home, body politics, sport and fitness, migration, violence, the state, and globalisation. The book also reviews a range of ‘post’ perspectives and arguments including postmodernism, postcolonialism and postfeminism. Feminism is also a transformative social movement. Its political impact, from local to transnational levels, has to be taken into account in assessing developments in sociology, providing it with a connection between research and action. Key features Provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to feminist perspectives in sociology Discusses and assesses sociological and feminist theories in relation to case studies Covers a wide range of current issues that will interest readers from many disciplinary backgrounds Includes end of chapter summaries, suggestions for further reading and a glossary of key terms Barbara Littlewood is Lecturer in Sociology, University of Glasgow.

This collection of thirteen life stories recaptures the history of a political and intellectual movement that created feminist sociology as a field of inquiry. As the editors' introduction notes, the life history is a crucial tool for sociological thought. Life histories can be a bridge between individual experience and codified knowledge, between human agency and social structure. Life histories can enhance social theory by revealing categories of meaning usually submerged in the conventions of social science. The authors in this volume, all sociologists who have had great impact upon the field in which they write, show how personal relationships, experiences of inequality, and professional conflict and camaraderie interweave with the formation of social theory, political movements, and intellectual thought. The book makes a powerful impression upon anyone who has struggled with the relationship between social theory and everyday life. -- Accessible, lively articles that combine personal narrative with sociological theory. -- Contributors are some of the leading voices in feminist sociology.

Young Women and the Body sets out to examine why the current generation of young women seem to be deeply unhappy with their own bodies. Dieting and disguising are commonplace, and inflicting serious harm by no means rare in fourteen to eighteen year olds. Despite prophesies to the contrary boys and adults are suffering far less. Drawing on feminist social constructionist perspectives the book seeks to examine this epidemic of body-hatred.

"The book begins with a consideration of the relationship between feminism and the sociological imagination, focusing on the feminist critique of malestream sociology. It then considers feminist sociological theory, taking account of debates and issues relating to post-feminism and post-colonialism. Various sociological themes are considered from a broad range of feminist perspectives and in the light of current feminist research, including: stratification and inequality, education, the life course, the family and the household, health, illness and caring, sexuality, crime and criminal justice, politics, the mass media and popular culture, and feminist knowledge."--BOOK JACKET.

In spite of the double burden of racial and gender discrimination, African-American women have developed a rich intellectual tradition that is not widely known. In Black Feminist Thought, Patricia Hill Collins explores the words and ideas of Black feminist intellectuals as well as those African-American women outside academe. She provides an interpretive framework for the work of such prominent Black feminist thinkers as Angela Davis, bell hooks, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde. The result is a superbly crafted book that provides the first synthetic overview of Black feminist thought.

Exploring the achievements of British feminist sociology in theory, methods and empirical research, Sara Delamont outlines the barriers to the development of feminism and explores contemporary challenges. She provides an unrivalled guide to the origins of feminism in the discipline of sociology, analyzes the uneasy relationships between feminists and the founding fathers, and elucidates the opportunities and challenges presented by postmodernism.

In this collection of essays, sociologist Dorothy E. Smith develops a method for analyzing how women (and men) view contemporary society from specific gendered points of view. She shows how social relations - and the theories that describe them - must express the concrete historical and geographical details of everyday lives. A vital sociology from the standpoint of women, the volume is applicable to a variety of subjects, and will be especially useful in courses in sociological theory and methods.