Sociologists analyze social phenomenon at different levels and perspectives. Analysis takes place at the micro level and macro level. Micro level involves the analysis of minute social patterns. Macro analysis involves the analysis of bigger social patterns. Concrete and general interpretations of society social behavior are undertaken. Sociology studies the origin, development, organization, and institutions of humankind (Giddens, 2006). It uses empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop the body of knowledge that describes human activity. The goal of major sociologists is to develop research for welfare and social policy, while others develop theoretical explanation of societal processes.
Born in 1802, Harriet Martineau is cited as one of the initial female sociologists. Harriet wrote a large collection of essays from religious, holistic, domestic, and feminine approaches. She also wrote 35 books. Martineau earned a lot of support in her work especially during the Victorian regime. She was born in Norwich, England in a family of eight children. Martineau was diagnosed with uterine tumor and she died in 1876.
Harriet Martineau analyzes three major topics in sociology. The topic is chosen because of her contribution in three major areas. The analysis of pre-war America in 1837, condensing, and translation of Auguste Comte’s Philosophy in 1853, and methodological treatise in1835 were the major contributions. The subject area of interest is the treatise. In the works, Harriet Martineau travels to America and through her conversation and observations; she makes an insightful analysis of the plight of American slave community. The most interesting thing is, her ideas were more insightful and poignant than the book democracy in America which was written in 1959 by Alex de Tocqueville (Drysdale, 1992).
The topic is chosen because Harriet Martineau was one of the feminine pioneers of sociology. Martineau worked alongside Karl Marx, Auguste Comte, and Herbert Spencer who were icons in the sociology field. Women rarely visited the field of sociology since it was dominated by men during Martineau’s time. Major scholars in sociology describe Martineau as a sociologist with masculine intelligence. The topic is selected because of Martineau’s love for political economy and the contributions she has championed in the sector.
The assumption made is that Martineau being a woman she would not be able to cope with sociology which was mainly dominated by intelligent men like Karl Marx. However, she was successful in writing many works and novels that are widely read. The second assumption was that Martineau would not be able to translate Comte’s work to English. The information discovered later indicates that Martineau developed a comparative tactic for studying communities and analyzing the new American culture against the underlined principles. Martineau wrote a methodological essay on how to analyze morals and manners. The book was the first to develop social research in the discipline of anthropology and sociology. In the book, Martineau acknowledges that social system is different from the scientific discipline. This formed the basis for naming the book ‘science of morals and manners.’
Martineau condensed Comte’s original book from 4000 to 2000 pages. The books were translated into English, which made the material accessible to English speakers. The book was made even more intelligible. Martineau wrote about political economy in 1831. Her goal to write the book was to underline the public understanding of principles of lassiez faire capitalism.
Martineau was the first sociologist to develop and explain the methodology of studying social life. The work establishes one of the initial systematic methodologies for conducting observable research (Hill and Drysdale, 2003).
Martineau angrily wrote about the state of women education in her book ‘society in America.’ Martineau wrote about how intelligent women were restricted in the confines of unjustified restriction to education. She championed for the right of women to be educated because she believed they were equally endowed with similar abilities to those of men.
The most disturbing thing is to realize that Martineau works have very little impact on the present 21st century society (Dillon, 2010). It is disturbing to realize that she had no impact on the sociology discipline. After more than one hundred years since her death, sociologists have not acknowledged the contribution of women to sociology. However, the Symbolic Interaction theory will concentrate on observational research. The theory will use Martineau contribution as a basis of their findings.
It is surprising to learn that Comte recommended school children to read Martineau’s version of the original work that he wrote. Comte also stopped reading his own book and turned began reading Martineau translated version. Martineau wrote her own autobiography. The autobiography was later published by the daily news upon her death. This was a rare scenario since women of her era were shy to write such works.
In a recap, Martineau made a great contribution in the field of sociology. Martineau is able to bring out herself as a strong character in the discipline of sociology. Using Martineau as a role model, the society needs to give women a chance to express their views. Women should also be educated because they play a very important role in the society.
References
Dillon, M. (2010).Introduction to sociological theory: theorists, concepts, and their applicability to the twenty-first century. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell.
Drysdale, S. (1992).Harriet Martineau, first woman sociologist. Oxford [England: Berg ;.
Giddens, A. (2006). Sociology (5th Ed.). Cambridge: Polity.
Hill, M. R., & Drysdale, S. (2003). Harriet Martineau: theoretical and methodological perspectives.New York: Routledge.
