An examination of the contributions of Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge (1866--1948) to the discipline of sociology

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the relationship and contributions of Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge to the discipline of sociology in its formative decades. Primary documents from four archival repositories, the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, the University of Chicago Library Special Collections Research Center, Wellesley College Archives, and the Wisconsin Historical Society were the primary data sources for this study in addition to Breckinridge's scholarly works from 1904 to 1920.; The data were used to answer six research questions: (1) What social forces and influences shaped the life of this non-traditional woman and social scientist? (2) What social forces, life chances, or contingencies led Breckinridge down a path of relative independence in an era, where women were largely still expected to marry and care for a family? (3) What factors influenced Breckinridge's educational and career choices? (4) How does Breckinridge's work compare to that produced in the same time period by her male counterparts in Sociology? (5) What theoretical, methodological, and substantive contributions to Sociology can be found in her works? And (6) what was Breckinridge's relationship to the Sociology Department and its faculty at the University of Chicago and what influence, if any, did that have on the direction and nature of her work?; Gender, race, class, the historical time period in which she was born, her father, Marion Talbot, Edith Abbott, and Wellesley College had the greatest influence on Breckinridge's development, education, and career. Unanticipated events, such as the deaths of her mother and a dear Wellesley professor, caused her to alter her plans substantially, changing the course of her education and career. Breckinridge's scholarly works contributed to sociology methodologically and substantively, but not theoretically. These contributions stand in sharp contrast to the works of Chicago's male sociologists of which almost half were theoretical. The data also suggest that while Chicago's male sociologists were defining the discipline of sociology, Breckinridge was developing the discipline of social work, that Breckinridge was never interested in a career in sociology, and that the influence of the Chicago male sociologists on her work was minimal.