To say that women have been “written out” of sociology’s history means that they may have once been seen as a presence in the sociology community but have since been erased from its record.  This “writing out” was due in part to the issue of social inequality in their time.  As the birth of sociology was developing, women were dealing with the issues of gender injustice, and therefore fell victim to the filtering of much of their work out of sociological record keeping. 

            Many of the early women in sociology shared common ground in Chicago (apart from Harriet Martineau who was a full generation before the other women, and Anna Julia Cooper who didn’t frequent the Chicago area).  They knew each other and each other’s work.  They were all well-known public figures in their lifetime but receive little credit today for their work.  They all aimed to correct social inequality and they shared common beliefs and work toward civil rights (especially among woman and African Americans).  Many helped found or were major contributors to important organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Consumer’s League, the Children’s Bureau, and the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, among others.  All of the women were frequent contributors of sociological research and teachings in books, journals (such as the American Journal of Sociology), universities, and lectures.

            It is important to recognize the contributions of sociology’s women founders today, because sociology was as much the women’s undertaking as the men’s.  Women’s rights have come a long way from these women’s era to the role women play in today’s society.  Although not completely equal to men in the working world, woman can now play significant roles in politics, law, and medicine, and we find more and more women today reaching the top of the corporate ladder.

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