Dorothy E. Smith
Dorothy Edith Smith
“Feminist Standpoint Theory and Institutional Ethnography”
1926-
Dorothy E. Smith was born in North England in 1926. Dorothy E. Smith has lived a long life and commonly refers to it as “a long time ago and another world”. According to Smith, she has grown from the young woman to now due to several experiences. Smith has been employed in many different capacities such as a secretary and a clerk. In her Mid-twenties, she worked at a book publishing company. Smith attempted to make a career in the publishing field, but soon realized women were not welcomed or respected.
Due to the disappointing job prospects, Smith decided to enroll in college. She was accepted to the London School of Economics and achieved a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a major in social anthropology. Smith went to the University of California at Berkeley in 1955 and later earned a PhD in sociology. There she met and later married fellow student of sociology William Reid Smith. While still in school, she had two children. With small children, William left Dorothy which forced her to become a single parent. This pivotal moment in Dorothy’s life compelled her to run the household, raise her children alone and be the earner. She taught sociology at the same university where she got her doctorate but was not satisfied with the lecturer position she held. Around this time in1965, women’s issues were becoming vocalized. Smith was the only woman of over 40 teachers; her education still did not afford her one of the better positions. Smith was delighted that an education for a woman could empower one to gain success, but great strides were still needed. Smith heard of lectures occurring involving women’s plights, mostly ran by men, but she was still intrigued and decided to become immersed in the studies. She organized several meetings for women to come together and discuss was inequalities they were facing at the university. She realized that the
“Feminist Standpoint Theory and Institutional Ethnography”
1926-
Dorothy E. Smith was born in North England in 1926. Dorothy E. Smith has lived a long life and commonly refers to it as “a long time ago and another world”. According to Smith, she has grown from the young woman to now due to several experiences. Smith has been employed in many different capacities such as a secretary and a clerk. In her Mid-twenties, she worked at a book publishing company. Smith attempted to make a career in the publishing field, but soon realized women were not welcomed or respected.
Due to the disappointing job prospects, Smith decided to enroll in college. She was accepted to the London School of Economics and achieved a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a major in social anthropology. Smith went to the University of California at Berkeley in 1955 and later earned a PhD in sociology. There she met and later married fellow student of sociology William Reid Smith. While still in school, she had two children. With small children, William left Dorothy which forced her to become a single parent. This pivotal moment in Dorothy’s life compelled her to run the household, raise her children alone and be the earner. She taught sociology at the same university where she got her doctorate but was not satisfied with the lecturer position she held. Around this time in1965, women’s issues were becoming vocalized. Smith was the only woman of over 40 teachers; her education still did not afford her one of the better positions. Smith was delighted that an education for a woman could empower one to gain success, but great strides were still needed. Smith heard of lectures occurring involving women’s plights, mostly ran by men, but she was still intrigued and decided to become immersed in the studies. She organized several meetings for women to come together and discuss was inequalities they were facing at the university. She realized that the
References: Farganis, James, 2008, Readings in Social Theory: The Classic Tradition to Post-Modernism, 6th Edition., McGraw and Hill Leahy, Terry, March 1992, The Discourse of Seduction and the Social Construction of Masculinity. Journal of Sociology. Smith, Dorothy E., Boston College. Abigail Brooks. www.bc.edu/schools/cas/sociology/vss/smith