Joan Elise Robinson Acker (March 18, 1924June 22, 2016) was an American sociologist, researcher, writer and educator. She joined the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

faculty in 1967. Acker is considered one of the leading analysts regarding gender and class within the second wave of feminism.

Education

Acker was born in Illinois in 1924. She received her bachelor's degree from

Hunter College Hunter College is a public university in New York City. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools. It also admi ...

, her master's from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

, and her Ph.D. from the

Career

Acker is best known for her theories on the relationship between race, class, and gender. She discusses this relationship in several of her publications, including her 2006 book '' Class Questions: Feminist Answers''. Acker describes the need to think about race, class, and gender not as separate entities but as "intersecting systems of oppression." Acker was professor of sociology at the University of Oregon until her retirement in 1993. In 1973, Acker founded the

Center for the Study of Women in Society The Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS) at the University of Oregon in the United States supports feminist research, teaching, activism and creativity. Established in 1973, it is a non-profit partnership between the Associated Studen ...

at the University of Oregon. She was also professor at The Swedish Center for Working Life. She successfully helped to raise pay wages for low-wage jobs in Oregon while serving on a state task force from 1981-1983. She also served as co-editor of the academic journals ''

Gender & Society ''Gender & Society'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers research in the field of gender studies. The editor-in-chief is Jo Reger (Oakland University). It was established in 1987 and is currently published by SAGE Publications in associ ...

'' and ''Gender, Organisation and Work''. In recognition of her scholarship, Acker received the

American Sociological Association The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology. Founded in December 1905 as the American Sociological Society at Johns Hopkins University by a group of fif ...

's Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award in 1993 and the

Jessie Bernard Award {{refimprove, date=July 2022 The Jessie Bernard Award is given by the American Sociological Association in recognition of scholarly work that has enlarged the horizons of sociology to encompass fully the role of women in society. The contribution ...

for feminist scholarship in 1989.

Later life and legacy

She died on June 22, 2016 at the age of 92.

Selected works

Books

* * * *

Chapters in books

Journal articles

*Acker, Joan (1990). "Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of Gendered Organizations". ''Gender and Society''. 4 (2): 139–158.

ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs ...

0891-2432. *Acker, Joan (2006-08-01). "Inequality Regimes: Gender, Class, and Race in Organizations". ''Gender & Society''. 20 (4): 441–464. doi:10.1177/0891243206289499.

0891-2432.

References

External links

Joan Acker
from the University of Oregon's Department of Sociology
Joan Acker
from the Center for the Study of Women in Society
"Joan Acker’s Feminist Historical-Materialist Theory of Class"
from ''

Monthly Review The ''Monthly Review'', established in 1949, is an independent socialist magazine published monthly in New York City. The publication is the longest continuously published socialist magazine in the United States. History Establishment Following ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Acker, Joan 1924 births 2016 deaths American sociologists American women sociologists American women's rights activists Feminist studies scholars Hunter College alumni University of Chicago alumni University of Oregon alumni University of Oregon faculty Scientists from Illinois 21st-century American women educators 21st-century American educators