American sociology and the construction of gender, 1890--1920

This dissertation examines the discourse about gender among American sociologists during the formative years of sociology as an academic discipline. Sociologists' attitudes and beliefs about gender, gender roles (especially within the family), and the family's function in society occurred within the broader context of professionalization.;Analyzing well-known theorists would not necessarily reveal any consensus that may have existed among sociologists and reformers. Therefore, I attempt to construct a broader understanding of the field by also examining the institutional and professional environment.;Sociologists and reformers active within this structure expressed a consensus that men's position in the new urban, industrial society was well defined. They did not express any sense of a "masculinity crisis." They believed that boys and young men were more susceptible to failure than were girls of the same age, they attributed this, in part, to men's greater "variability" or inherent volatility. While some found a solution in boy's clubs or supervised recreation, most sociologists tried to find ways to free women from the necessity of working so that they could more closely supervise their sons.;Those who saw a threat to Western Civilization believed that threat came from increased instability in the American family (e.g. the white, middle-class, nuclear family). While the stress of modernity was a factor, sociologists expressed more concern about the impact of women's growing independence. Men's role in the new social structure had stabilized, women's role remained uncertain. In theory, they accepted women's right to independence. Nevertheless, excessive independence for women threatened the family's future and, thus, the foundation of civilization.;Most sociologists were ambivalent about women's place in the new discipline. Welcomed as partners in reform, women's welcome as fellow intellectuals was more reserved as shown in their relatively low access to graduate studies and academic careers. Nevertheless, men tried to accommodate women's new goals and activities while attempting to reserve some masculine territory. Concurrently, women attempted to expand their options without completely rejecting their maternal roles. The interaction of men and women, sociologists and reformers, within the context of professionalization illuminated the struggle to redefine gender in a changing environment.