Harriet Martineau and the Idea of Liberty by Anna Dryjanska [email_address] paper presented at The 4th International Working Seminar Harriet Martineau Sociological Society National University of Ireland Maynooth, Ireland May 21-23, 2007

Harriet Martineau and the Idea of Liberty The degree of imperfection in the popular idea of liberty (...) is a kind of fact (...) worthy of all attention. Harriet Martineau „How to Observe Morals and Manners” (1838) idea of liberty = idea of importance and dignity of man democracy liberty happiness

Harriet Martineau and the Idea of Liberty Eight indicators of the Idea of Liberty: police legislation classess in society servants imitation of the metropolis newspapers schools objects and forms of persecution

Eight indicators of the Idea of Liberty:

police

legislation

classess in society

servants

imitation of the metropolis

newspapers

schools

objects and forms of persecution

Harriet Martineau and the Idea of Liberty FEUDALISM DEMOCRACY foundation upon physical force centralization arbitrary coercion polarization of classess ascribed status elite education severe censorship foundation upon mutual consent decentralization limited coercion graduation of ranks achieved status popular education freedom of thought and speech

Harriet Martineau and the Idea of Liberty INDIVIDUAL SOCIETY gender race ethnicity age dis/ability patterns norms values

Harriet Martineau and the Idea of Liberty Martineau’s mosaical minority status unique sociological sensitiveness involvement in human rights campaigns ( woman, deaf, unitarian ) Martineau - the pioneer of cultural studies

Harriet Martineau and the Idea of Liberty Stuart Hall – cultural studies criteria: surveying the ways of depiction of marginalized groups and depictions of society meant for them emphasis on necessity of social change perceiving the production of social theory as the political action significance of theorist’s standpoint to the process of knowledge production Stuart Hall - ” Cultural Studies and its Theoretical Legacies ” ( 1992 )

Stuart Hall – cultural studies criteria:

surveying the ways of depiction of marginalized groups and depictions of society meant for them

emphasis on necessity of social change

perceiving the production of social theory as the political action

significance of theorist’s standpoint to the process of knowledge production

I want to be doing something with the pen, since no other means of action in politics are in a woman’s power Harriet Martineau 1832