Transcending a Patriarchal Past: Teaching the History of Women in Sociology

The lives and ideas of early female sociologists are rarely documented in textbooks, classrooms, or historical accounts of the profession. This patriarchal legacy is rejected by an increasing number of contemporary sociologists. These more egalitarian professionals soon discover, however, that they have few resources in their sociological stock of knowledge to guide them in this new enterprise. This paper is a guide for teachers in a variety of courses who want to start filling these deep gaps in knowledge. Specific guidance is provided on reference works, autobiographies, and biographies that provide information on 10 early female founders of American sociology. Given these references and our capacity to innovate and recreate our social world, we have a sufficient stock of knowledge to change our sociological practice in the classroom.