Harriet Martineau
Harriet Martineau (12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist and writer. She is often called the first female sociologist.[1]
Harriet Martineau | |
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| Born | 12 June 1802 Norwich, England |
| Died | 27 June 1876 (aged 74) Ambleside, England |
| Notable works | Deerbrook (1839) The Hour and the Man (1839) |
She wrote only one book, but many essays. The essays were sociological, religious, domestic, sexual themes, with a feminine perspective. She also translated various works from Auguste Comte.[2] She earned enough to be supported entirely by her writing.
A young Princess Victoria, (later Queen Victoria), enjoyed reading Martineaus's publications. The Queen invited Martineau to her coronation in 1838 – an event which Martineau described, in great and amusing detail, to her many readers.[3][4] Martineau has said of her own approach to writing: "when one studies a society, one must focus on all its aspects, including key political, religious, and social institutions". She believed a thorough analysis was necessary to understand woman's status under men.
One writer said "as a born lecturer and politician she [Martineau] was less affected by her sex than perhaps any other, male or female, of her generation".[2] Often described as having a masculine intellect and body, Martineau introduced feminist perspectives in her writing on otherwise overlooked issues such as marriage, children, domestic and religious life, and race relations.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hill, Michael R.; Hoecker-Drysdale, Susan (2002). Harriet Martineau: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-94528-8.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Postlethwaite, Diana (1989). "Mothering and mesmerism in the life of Harriet Martineau". Signs. University of Chicago Press. 14 (3): 583–609. JSTOR 3174403.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ↑ Martineau, Harriet; Chapman, Maria Weston (2010). Harriet Martineau's Autobiography. Cambridge University Press. pp. 79–80. ISBN 978-1-108-02258-3.
- ↑ Wilson, Christopher. "The benefits of a feminist in the family". Retrieved 10 February 2013.