Abstract
The aim of the paper is to present unusual achievements of three women sociologists who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Its goal is also to contribute to a long standing discussion of the role sociologists as public intellectuals. By focusing on Addams, Balch and Myrdal’s scholarly and public life, the paper demonstrates what social scientists can offer in the role of public intellectuals and debates what are the source of intellectuals’ public standing. The paper concludes by arguing that these three intellectuals’ successful achievement of their goals was possible because of their professional credential and because of their courage to take on risky actions for purposes to institutionalise social or cultural change.
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Notes
In all three cases, the Nobel Prize was shared . Jane Addams, who got the Nobel Peace Prize as‘ Sociologist; International President, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom’, shared it with Nicholas Murry Butler. Balch, who got is as ‘Formerly Professor of History and Sociology, Honorary President, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, shared the prize with John R. Mott. Alva Myrdal, who got it as a ‘Former Cabinet Minster; Diplomat, Writer, shared it with Alfonso Garcia Robles.(hhto://nobelprize.org.index.htm).
Deegan (1999) who is the recognized authority on Addams and other women sociologist, in her introduction to Women in Sociology. A Bio-Bibliographical Source Book, while discussing women who set precedents in sociology, presents in Table 1.2. Addams, Balch and Myrdal as Nobel Peace Prize Winners Who Are Founding Sisters. Stating that all three women’s contribution ‘dramatically influenced the world’, Deegan (1999:8) further notes that the Nobel Peace Prizes reflects ‘ the powerful application of their ideas’.
Jane Addams wrote prolifically on a wide range of issues for scholarly journals and for mass-circulation magazines, such as Ladies Home Journal (‘a politically serous magazine at the time’), McClure’s and American Magazine (Elshtain Bethke 2002a:xxv).
Some of her most important books are; Democracy and Social Ethics (1902), Newer Ideals of Peace (1907), Spirit of Youth and the City Streets ( 1909), Twenty Years at Hull House (1910), Peace and Bread in Time of War (1922). The Long road of Woman’s Memory (1916). Recently her writings have been collected in Bethke Elshtain (2002a, b) and in Addams (1960).
Addams was the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate from Yale University (1910), which was followed by numerous honorary degrees, including degrees from Wisconsin University Northwestern University, The University of Chicago, and University of California and so on. She was also awarded Bryn Mawr’s M.Cary Thomas Prize (1931) and the Pictorial Review award to ‘the woman who in her special field has made the most distinguished contribution to American life’ (Alonso 1994: 215).
For example, Addams’s book Spirit of Youth and the City Streets (1909), which deals with the problem of juvenile delinquency, was very positively reviewed by William James who wrote in American Journal of Sociology: ‘Certain pages on Miss Addams’ book seem to me to contain important statements of the fact that the essential and perennial function of the Youth period is the reaffirm authentically the value and the charm of Life. All the details of the little book flow from the central insight or persuasion. Of how they flow I can give no account , for the wholeness of Miss Addams’ embrace of life is her own secret. She simply inhabits reality, and everything she says necessarily expresses its nature, she can’t help writing truth’ (quoted in Davis 1973: 155–56).
In 1915, when women peace activists founded the Women’s Peace Party, Addams, who viewed feminity as central to women’s role as peacemakers, became it president and chaired its large peace conference in The Hague (Addams et al. (2003)). When the USA entered the war, in 1917, Addams did not change her pacifist stance and virtually overnight, she ‘who has been an American heroine, repetitive of all the best of American democracy, was transformed into a villain by her opposition to the war’ (Davis 1973: 251). For her uncompromising stance in the name of mediation, war enthusiasts denounced her as a dangerous and ‘an unpatriotic subversive out to demasculinize the nation’s sons’ (Alonso 1994: 208).
Balch’s publications are: Public Assistance of the Poor on France (1893), Our Slavic Fellow Citizens (1910), Women at the Hague(with J. Addams and A. Hamilton)(1915), Approaches to the Great Settlement (1918), Occupied Haiti (1927), Refugees as Assets (1930), The Miracle of Living (poems) (1941) Vignettes in Prose (1952), Beyond Nationalism. The Social Thought of Emily Greene Balch (ed. by M.M. Randall)(1972)
For the full list of Emily Greene Balch’s publication see Balch (1972) which has a collection of documents, published and unpublished with comprehensive list of her publications. Also see also the website of Swarthmore College peace Collection and note 6.
Between 1931 and 1938 Balch wrote, published and circulated analyses and proposals on: Internationalization of Aviation, Manchuria, An Economic Conference, Revision of Treaties, The Political Situation in Europe, Reform of the League of Nations, Economic Reconstruction, A Mediated Spain, Internationalization of the Reiteration, Neutrality and Collective Security (Randall 1964)
Alva Myrdal’s publications include books written with Gunnar Myrdal , such as The Crisis in the Population Question (1934) and Contact with America (1941).
She also published Nation and Family. New York: Harper and Brothers (1945), Women’s Two Roles. with V. Klein. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul (1956), The Game of Disarmament: How the United States and Russia Run the Arms Race. . New York: Pantheon (1976)
Alva Myrdal’ work was criticized recently for supporting Swedish sterilization politics. Yet, as Ekerwald (2000:3) notes, portraying Alva as ‘a eugenic utopian’ constructs a ‘false image’ of her. Moreover, Alva Myrdal’ work needs to be seen in historical context. Myrdal, in book Nation and Family (1945) stressed that the Swedish efforts to shape a family policy, unlike the Nazi pronatalist and racist family propaganda was democratic. See also Holmwood’s (2000:45–46) answer to this criticism.
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