María Ángeles Durán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
María Ángeles Durán
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María Ángeles Durán Heras
30 November 1942 Madrid, Spain
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| Alma mater | University of Madrid |
| Occupation | Sociologist, university professor, writer |
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María Ángeles Durán Heras (born 30 November 1942) is a famous Spanish sociologist. A sociologist studies how people live in groups and how society works. María Ángeles is known for her important work on topics like unpaid work, the lives of women, and how people use their time.
She was a trailblazer, meaning she was one of the first to do something new. In 1982, she became the first woman in Spain to be a full professor of sociology. She also helped start the first university institute in Spain dedicated to women's studies in 1979. This institute, at the Autonomous University of Madrid, focused on understanding and improving the situation of women.
In 2002, she received a major award, the Pascual Madoz National Research Award, for her work in economics and law. Even though she retired in 2012, she still works as a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
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About María Ángeles Durán
María Ángeles Durán was born in Madrid, Spain. Her family came from a region called Extremadura. Her father was an engineer, and her mother was from a town called La Granja de San Ildefonso. María Ángeles was the oldest of six children. She grew up in Madrid but often visited Extremadura.
She became interested in math and languages because of her father. At just 16, she started studying at the university. Back then, it was unusual for many women to attend university. She was a very dedicated student and became a class delegate at 18.
María Ángeles earned her degree in Political and Economic Sciences in 1964. Later, in 1971, she got her Ph.D. in political science from the Complutense University of Madrid. Her Ph.D. paper was titled El trabajo de las Mujeres, which means "The Work of Women." In 1972, she studied more in the United States, focusing on how boys and girls are raised differently and how this leads to social inequalities.
Her Work for Women's Studies
In 1979, María Ángeles started the Women's Study Seminar. This group later became the Autonomous University of Madrid's University Institute of Women's Studies (IUEM). It was the very first institute of its kind in Spain. She led this institute until 1985.
She researched how women were doing in science and how to look at research from a "gender perspective." This means understanding how things affect men and women differently. In 1981, she published a book called Liberación y utopía: la mujer ante la ciencia (Liberation and Utopia: Women Before Science). In 2001, she helped create the Association of Women Researchers and Technologists (AMIT).
Becoming a Professor
In 1982, María Ángeles Durán made history. She won the Chair of Sociology, which meant she became a full professor in that field. She was the first woman in Spain to achieve this important position.
She taught sociology at several universities, including the Autonomous and Complutense Universities of Madrid. From 1987 until her retirement in 2012, she also taught and researched at universities in other countries, like the University of Michigan and the University of Cambridge.
She was also a Professor of Research at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Today, she continues to work there as an ad honorem researcher, which means she volunteers her time and expertise.
From 1998 to 2001, she led the Spanish Federation of Sociology. She was also part of the executive committee for the International Sociological Association from 2002 to 2006.
In 2009, she helped create a special UNESCO Chair network. This network focuses on gender policies and equal rights for women and men. She led it from 2010 to 2013 and is now its Honorary Chair.
María Ángeles Durán has received special honorary doctorates from several universities. Her work has been published in many languages, showing its global importance.
Understanding Unpaid Work
One of María Ángeles Durán's most important areas of study is unpaid work. This is work that people do without getting paid, like housework, caring for family members, or volunteering. She studies how much this work is worth in modern economies and how important it is for society to function.
She was one of the first to show how much unpaid work women do in Spain. Her research found that Spanish women spend more time on unpaid work and less time on paid work compared to women in other European countries.
Her studies showed that unpaid work, often done by women, is a huge part of the economy. For example, her research in the early 2000s found that men did 70% of paid work in Spain, while women did only 30%. But women did 79% of domestic work (like cleaning and cooking), while men did only 21%.
María Ángeles Durán explained in 2008 that "women work more than men" when you count both paid and unpaid work. She calculated that the average work week for a Spanish man was about 36 hours and 43 minutes. For a woman, it was about 56 hours and 7 minutes!
In 2011, she estimated that unpaid work made up about 53% of Spain's GDP. GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country. This shows just how much unpaid work contributes to a country's wealth.
She also pointed out that women often take on the main responsibility for children, sick family members, and older relatives. She said that women's achievements often come from "juggling" many tasks and sometimes needing an "exceptional partner" to help.
Overcoming Challenges
In the late 1990s, María Ángeles Durán faced a personal challenge when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was already studying how people use their time. So, as a way to cope, she decided to observe how much time was spent waiting in doctor's offices or during treatments. She turned her personal struggle into a way to learn and understand more.
In 2003, she wrote a book about her experience called Diario de Batalla. Mi lucha contra el cáncer (Battle Diary. My Fight Against Cancer). In this book, she shared her six-year journey of fighting fear and overcoming the disease.
Her book was praised for helping people understand what it's like to be sick and how it affects emotions.
Personal Life
María Ángeles Durán got married in 1967 when she was 24 years old. She has four children.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2002: Pascual Madoz National Research Award in Economic and Legal Sciences
- 2005: Gold Medal for Merit at Work
- 2008: Honorary Doctorate from the Autonomous University of Madrid
- 2009: Medal of Extremadura
- 2010: Culture for Health Award (ADEPS)
- 2012: Honorary Doctorate from the University of Valencia
- 2013: Honorary Doctorate from the University of Granada
- 2016: Award from the Federation of Progressive Women in the National Category
María Ángeles Durán Award
In 2004, the Autonomous University of Madrid created an award named after María Ángeles Durán. This award is given every two years for scientific innovation in women's and gender studies. It aims to encourage new ideas in feminist knowledge, support creative research, and improve the quality of studies that can lead to positive social change.
Selected Publications
- 1981 – Liberación y utopía: la mujer ante la ciencia
- 1988 – De puertas adentro
- 1996 – Mujeres y hombres en la formación de la Teoría Sociológica
- 1998 – La ciudad compartida: conocimiento, afecto y uso
- 2000 – Si Aristóteles levantara la cabeza. Quince ensayos sobre las ciencias y las letras
- 2000 – Nuevos objetivos de igualdad en el siglo XXI: las relaciones entre mujeres y hombres (coord.)
- 2000–2003 – Los costes invisibles de la enfermedad
- 2003 – Diario de Batalla. Mi lucha contra el cáncer
- 2010 – Tiempo de vida y tiempo de trabajo
- 2012 – El trabajo no remunerado en la economía global
See also
In Spanish: María Ángeles Durán para niños
