Final Thoughts

Dr. Risman's life is certainly an inspiration to not only because she was very successful doing what she loves, but also in the idea that you need to please yourself as well as others. She made herself known for both public and professional involvement in sociology; she held strong to her beliefs and was into in public sociology "long before it was cool." http://www.thundercom.net/som/sociograph24_2.pdf
Looking back on this project and thinking about what I liked about it, I would have to say that some of the most memorable things Barbara Risman said were how proud she was that she raised such a wonderful daughter, and the impact Judaism had on her life. It made me think about every person in history that I have learned about in school, but have no idea what their lives were like aside from their accomplishments. I have learned that women cannot be defined or understood by gender alone, but that we need to think about all of the situations and influencing experiences that they have in order to try and see into what makes them who they are. So Dr. Risman is much more than an author and a teacher, and I'm glad I could learn that about her.
Something I found interesting in her book Gender Vertigo was the idea of women not taking their husband's last names, and how this was often visible in "fair" relationships. It really made me think and question a family tradition that I hadn't even thought of before. She really does that with her work- she shows you things about your life that you hardly ever think about, and then explains how they are gendered and how those gendered situations and norms affect your experiences. I think her work brings very important issues out into the public, and it makes her seem much more involved and sincere about social change. She also continues to help and educate people in communities and at the college where she works, even though she has already accomplished so much. Just the fact that I was able to speak with her on the phone is something I will always remember from this project.