Jessie Bernard

My Four Revolutions: An Autobiographical History of the ASA.

There have been at least four revolutions in the American Sociological Association that I know of. In the 1920s empirical research papers were introduced in the annual programs; in the 1930s the Society declared its independence of the University of Chicago; in the 1950s, the Society for the Study of Social Problems was organized. Now in the 1970s we are having a feminist revolution. Among the contributions that this fourth revolution can make to sociology is that of filling in the deficiencies resulting from its sexist bias, helping it become a science of society instead of, as so often now, a male science of society or a science of male society. All the major paradigms call for a thorough overhauling to see to what extent they are distorted by their male bias.

Note on Educational Homogamy in Negro-White and White-Negro Marriages, 1960

Interracial marriages as of 1960 were educationally about as homogamous as intra-racial marriages; most partners in both types of marriage were in the same educational brackets as their spouses. IWhen intermarriages were not homogamous, there was more tendency for the Negro spouses to marry up than to marry down, a tendency much more pronounced in the case of Negro women than of Negro men. Wlhite men in interracial marriages tended to marry down more than up; there was little difference among the white women in intermarriages, about the same marrying down as up. The average number of years of schooling of wives, Negro or white, was higher than the average number of years of husbands, Negro or white. Negro-white marriages seem to be increasing somewhat more rapidly than white-Negro marriages.

Where Is the Modern Sociology of Conflict

In the last two or three decades interactional sociology has suffered relative to cultural sociology in the United States. The sciological theory of conflict, for example, remains essentially where Simmel left it; Communists, on the other hand, have assiduously cultivated this field. The comparative neglect of the sociology of conflict may ve for the following reasons: cultural expalnations of sociological phenomena are easier on our own personalities than interactional ones; sociologisthave wished to avoid identification with Marxism or socialism; there is a widespread fear that, if one studies conflict, he is aggravating, advocating, or approving it; powerful fighting organizations do not want to see a science of conflict developed; we do not wish to face the existence of certain conflicts; and, finally, the difficulty in securing adequate data is very great. In spite of these obstacles,the establishment of an Institute of Conflict Analysis is urged for both theoretical and practical purposes.

Political Leadership Among North American Indians

Political leadership among North American Indians was largely based on psychological rather than on institutional or formal mechanisms. The greatest leaders arose in the struggle with the whites for the continent. Their motives were both economic and personal. The most important personality traits of the great leaders were: striking appearance, intellectual ability, positive emotional traits such as kindness, affability, etc., dignity, moral courage, oratorical ability, courage, pride, military prowess, ambition, loyalty, diplomacy, personal magnetism, etc. The techniques used by the leaders included: the challenge, the use of epithets, ridicule, sarcasm, etc., the use of calumny and slander, the use of flattery, conspicuous dress, force, threats, magic, or oratory. The characteristics and techniques of leaders were largely determined by the nature of Indian human nature.

THE INFERIORITY CURRICULUM

Bernard looks back at the last decade and notes that although many things have improved, women at all levels in academia still face more subtle forms of discrimination, which comprise what she calls the “Inferiority Curriculum.” Exposure of these subtle discriminatory behaviors is gradually occurring through what Bernard has termed the “Feminist Enlightenment,” a discipline-by-discipline process which began in the mid-1960s. Bernard documents many “down-putting” behaviors that continue to undermine womens achievement and argues the necessity of overcoming the damage by building positive self-images among women.

The Status of Women in Modern Patterns of Culture

Modern industrialism makes equality of the sexes possible, but such equality is not likely to be achieved. Two roadblocks, according to W. J. Goode, stand in the way: the domestic and maternal obligations assigned to women and the lack of interest of women in assuming equal responsibilities. Care of the house need not be serious. Nor need motherhood be a serious obstacle if the number of children is small and if aids are supplied by community agencies. The lack of inter est in high-level positions suggests that women are settling for jobs rather than careers. As contrasted with the past, the issues which concern the modern generation have to do with personal, private, even sexual, rights rather than legal, politi cal, and economic rights. Whereas some women seem to have succumbed to the glamour ideal, others move toward the de emphasis of sex. There is beginning to be recognition of the fact that the change in the status of women may have a deleterious effect on men.

Note On Changing Life Styles, 1970-1974.

The concept of life style connotes an ideology and set of values that find expression in, among other things, varying combinations of living arrangements and marital status. A recent publication of the Census Bureau prepared by Arthur Norton and his staff provides data to help illuminate changing life styles of divorced men and women between 1970 and 1974 by age. Additional data are also provided by age for life styles in 1974. The present paper addresses itself to certain aspects of these phenomena.

Age, Sex and Feminism:

This paper attempts to delineate the relation ship between age and sex as independent variables and certain issues related to feminism. Neither the dependent nor the independent variable is simple and unequivocal. Also, the relations among them cannot be precisely mea sured with data so far available. Only general trends can be traced and hypothetical interpretations of them offered. With these qualifications, the following conclusions seem acceptable. Although more older than younger respondents of both sexes tend—expectably—to be traditional on feminist issues, older men are more favorable than older women on such issues. Among women education seems to explain a good deal of the traditionalism associated with age. However, the historical circumstances in which the generation of women now in their forties were socialized may help to explain their anomalous positions on feminist issues today. The political implications of current trends lie in increasing acceptance of feminist positions.

The Art of Science: A Reply to Redfield

Redfields prescription of more humanistic studies for social-science students to counteract too great concentration on technique may not be successful, since the demand for and prestige of technique are so great in our culture. What Redfield says of the art of social science is equally true of the art of any science. Sciences are social inventions; they grow up in a very unscientific way. The choice of problems which determines the course that a science will take is personal and reflects the values of the scientist. The humanistic imagination required of social scientists is of the same kind as that required of all scientists. The social scientist has no advantage, and may have a disadvantage, from the fact that he is a human being studying human beings. Physical science can be as liberalizing and enriching as the social sciences and the humanities, depending on the way it is taught.

The Distribution of Success in Marriage

A study was made of 252 married individuals representing 146 marriages. Of these, 31 were clinical cases. The sample was younger and more highly educated thant the general population, with smaller families and better economic status than average. The distribution of marital satisfaction showed a very marked negative skew. Three important points in the curve were the average, the indifference point (score of 50), and the success-failure point (66 for women, 68 for men). Brief clinical summaries are presented to give qualitative insight into the meaning of various scores.