Biography

Barbara J Risman was born in 1956 in Lynn, Massachusetts into a traditional Jewish family. Her grandparents were immigrants from Russia. She says that she has led a privileged life with enough love and enough materially. She was very close with her mother, and says that her "entire personal and political life is possible only because of the warmth and nurturance that [she] has always received in [her] most intimate relationships." She has a close relationship with her daughter Leah, who she says "constantly reminds [her] why the work that [she] does is important" and also "reminds [her] that the world is full of joy as well as struggle." She also mentions Leah as one of her biggest accomplishments (link to accomplishments section)
She says that education is stressed in Judaism, and that she has had no obstacles at all being involved in organized religion. In fact, she contributes her passion for sociology and feminism to her Jewish roots. It plays a very important part in her life, and her first experience with sexual discrimination and patriarchy actually occurred when she had a bat mitzvah http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm in 1968 because she was not allowed to read from the Torah http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm and the boy's were. Judaism fuels her passion she says because her love of "arguing about the meaning of words, [her] respect for intellectual pursuits, and [her] belief that study is most effective inside a supportive community all reflect Jewish tradition." She has always tried to bring her ethical commitments to research in sociology, and also believes that this is her way "to do tikkum olam," (Hebrew for heal the world.)

Resources:

Gender Vertigo- Barbara Risman http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300072155

Society From A Feminist Standpoint http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/ChronicleRisman.pdf

Barbara Rismanhttp://www.safarix.com/0131837567/ch09lev1sec8