Suchergebnisse

Introduction: developing research selves -- The desire, opportunity and preparation to do a study -- Becoming independent of the sponsor -- Gaining allies -- Personal selves -- Understanding the elderly as a consequence of my mothering role -- Being a woman -- Being an American -- Situational selves -- Being a "volunteer" (neither a volunteer nor a hired worker) -- Being a neighbor -- Theoretical conclusions -- Epilogue

Abstract: This essay offers the story of my nearly fifty-year career as a sociologist, through the lens of feminist ideas and my relationships with some women and men. It traces my learning of feminist concepts both as abstract ideas and as lived experiences in two universities. This overview is constructed on two lines of inquiry—the passage of time and the concept of names. It also includes discussion of power dynamics in Women's Studies Programs; the integration of pregnancy, miscarriage, and childbirth into a woman's career; and other phenomena that many women experience. It concludes with two illustrations of the significance of women's names, in Israeli communities and in the Bible. This last section suggests the vast array of ways in which we can bring women to the forefront even when individual women abandon the concept of sisterhood.

This article offers a biographical sketch of Mirra Komarovsky in the framework of an analysis of her work as a researcher, writer, teacher and feminist. It demonstrates how the cultural conflicts that existed while she was a college student laid the foundation for her later sociological research. It also illustrates the particular dynamics of a woman's career in sociology, especially with regard to the influence of social supports on a woman's sense of "finding her voice." Her work after retirement suggests that this period may have particular significance in the lives of academic women. The theoretical foundation and methodological characteristics of her work are additional foci of this article.