Judith Astelarra Bonomi (born 1943) is an Argentine sociologist based in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
where she has specialized in
gender studies
Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field ...
.
In
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, she contributed to work on agricultural reform in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Sciences. In 1977, she was appointed Professor of Sociology at the
Autonomous University of Barcelona
The Autonomous University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; , es, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona; UAB), is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
...
where from 1992, as founder and coordinator of the Seminario de Estudios de la Mujer (Centre for Women Studies), she introduced
gender studies
Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field ...
in Spain. She later served at the university as Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology. Since the late 1970s, she has published widely on gender studies and
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
.
Early life and education
Born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
in 1943, Astelarra, the oldest of nine children, was raised in an upper-class home. When she was nine, she moved with her family to Chile where she attended the Colegio Dunalastair in
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
. On the advice of her father, she went on to study sociology at the
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (''PUC or UC Chile'') ( es, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) is one of the six Catholic Universities existing in the Chilean university system and one of the two pontifical universities i ...
. graduating in 1968. In 1966, while on an agricultural course in Israel, she met Alberto Herrero, a Spaniard from
Léon
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
, who became her partner for the next 27 years, fathering her only son Rodrigo. He died in 1992.
[
After graduating in 1968 in Chile, she continued her studies at ]Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
, earning a master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in 1971 and a Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in sociology in 1975. She had these qualifications validated at the Complutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loc ...
in 1980 and 1981.[
]
Feminist development
While studying in Santiago, she discovered Viola Klein's works on psychology and the condition of women as well as Simone de Beauvoir's memoirs. Both encouraged her to turn to feminism and gender studies. On graduating, she joined the Department of Regional Planning at Chile's Corporation for Regional Reform (CORA). She visited areas where the first collective property models and farm workers settlements were being established. While studying in the United States, she experienced the development of student movements demanding the coverage of women's developments in the universities. She also saw Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan ( February 4, 1921 – February 4, 2006) was an American feminist writer and activist. A leading figure in the women's movement in the United States, her 1963 book ''The Feminine Mystique'' is often credited with sparking the se ...
's creation of the National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
. After earning her doctorate in New York, she returned to Chile in 1971 where she joined the Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
. In 1973, threatened with a coup d'état against Salvador Allende
Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (, , ; 26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 3 November 1970 until his death on 11 September 1973. He was the fir ...
, together with her family she moved back to Buenos Aires where she served as a governmental official.[
In 1975, to escape the dictatorships in Chile and Argentina, she and her family moved to ]Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
during the
International Women's Year
International Women's Year (IWY) was the name given to 1975 by the United Nations. Since that year March 8 has been celebrated as International Women's Day, and the United Nations Decade for Women, from 1976 to 1985, was also established.
Histo ...
. She became an enthusiastic member of the women's movement in Spain, supporting initiatives for women following the death of Francisco Franco. After being appointed Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 1977, she created the Centre for Women's Studies and, together with , organized events which ultimately attracted the participation of over a thousand women, including politicians, feminists and academics.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Astelarra, Judith
1943 births
People from Buenos Aires
Argentine sociologists
Spanish women sociologists
Argentine women sociologists
Argentine feminists
Spanish feminists
Argentine non-fiction writers
Argentine women writers
Spanish non-fiction writers
Spanish women writers
Academic staff of the Autonomous University of Barcelona
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile alumni
Cornell University alumni
Living people