Sociology: Discipline Analysis. Women in the Curriculum Series

This essay examines the ways in which sociology, as a discipline, has been influenced by feminist scholarship in the field, and three major contributions of feminist scholarship are presented: the introduction of women into sociological theory and research during the era of "sex role" analysis; the shift to analyzing gender as a basic axis of stratification built into social organization; and a more inclusive sociological perspective that focuses on the simultaneous operation of gender, race, and class in people's lives. The essay notes that in addition to critiques of traditional sociology, feminist scholarship has transformed the discipline by developing the study of sex and gender as a subfield of sociology. It concludes by noting that feminist sociologists are currently exploring the ways that researchers can understand gender as multifaceted, supporting, reinforcing, and intersecting with many other forms of inequality. An 89-item bibliography contains information on background readings for faculty; suggested readings for undergraduate courses; curriculum resources; and professional organizations. (MDM)