My Four Revolutions: An Autobiographical History of the ASA

Abstract

There have been at least four revolutions in the American Sociological Association that I know of. In the 1920s empirical research papers were introduced in the annual programs; in the 1930s the Society declared its independence of the University of Chicago; in the 1950s, the Society for the Study of Social Problems was organized. Now in the 1970s we are having a feminist revolution. Among the contributions that this fourth revolution can make to sociology is that of filling in the deficiencies resulting from its sexist bias, helping it become a science of society instead of, as so often now, a male science of society or a science of male society. All the major paradigms call for a thorough overhauling to see to what extent they are distorted by their male bias.