Patricia Hill Collins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patricia Hill Collins
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| Born |
Patricia Hill
May 1, 1948 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Brandeis University (BA, PhD) Harvard University (MA) |
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Notable work
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Black Feminist Thought (1990) |
| Spouse(s) |
Roger Collins
(m. 1977) |
| Children | 1 (Valerie Collins) |
| Awards | Berggruen Prize (2023) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Race, Gender and Labor Market Structure (1983) |
| Influences |
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Patricia Hill Collins (born May 1, 1948) is an American professor and writer who studies race, social class, and gender. She is a respected professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. She also used to be the head of the Department of African-American Studies at the University of Cincinnati.
In 2009, Collins became the 100th president of the American Sociological Association. She was the first African-American woman to ever hold this important job.
Collins is famous for her work on the challenges faced by the African-American community. Her book Black Feminist Thought, published in 1990, brought her a lot of attention. In 2023, she won the Berggruen Prize, a major award for her ideas.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Patricia Hill Collins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the only child of Albert and Eunice Hill. Her father was a factory worker and a veteran of World War II, and her mother was a secretary. They lived in a mostly Black, working-class neighborhood.
Because both of her parents worked, Collins started daycare when she was two and a half. Her mother, Eunice, had dreamed of being an English teacher and loved books. She passed this love of reading on to her daughter. Eunice taught Patricia to read at a young age and often took her to the public library.
Collins felt safe and happy growing up in her neighborhood. She played outside with her friends, roller skating and jumping rope. She also loved music and learned to play the trumpet, piano, and organ. As she got older, however, she started to notice that she was often one of the only African-American or working-class people in her schools and other groups. This made her feel small and quiet, but it also sparked her interest in understanding society.
Education
Collins went to public schools in Philadelphia. In the 1950s and 1960s, schools were beginning to desegregate, meaning students of all races could attend together. This experience made her more interested in sociology, feminism, and fighting for civil rights.
In 1965, she went to Brandeis University to study sociology. While in college, she helped create better learning programs for schools in Boston's Black community. She graduated in 1969. After that, she earned a master's degree from Harvard University in 1970.
For several years, she worked as a teacher and curriculum specialist in Boston. This experience helped her connect her studies with real-world problems and social justice. In 1984, she earned her doctorate (PhD) in sociology from Brandeis University.
Career and Major Ideas
In 1982, Collins began teaching at the University of Cincinnati. In 1986, she wrote an important article called "Learning from the Outsider Within." It explained how Black women, being on the margins of society, have a special understanding of social inequality.
In 2005, Collins moved to the University of Maryland, College Park, where she became a distinguished university professor. She continues to write books and articles about race, gender, and social issues.
What is Intersectionality?
One of Collins's most famous ideas is intersectionality. This is the idea that different parts of a person's identity, like their race, gender, and social class, overlap and are connected. For example, a Black woman's experience in the world is different from a white woman's or a Black man's experience.
These overlapping parts can create unique challenges and disadvantages. Collins calls this a "matrix of domination." She argues that we can't understand one form of inequality, like racism, without looking at how it connects to others, like sexism or classism.
Black Feminist Thought
Her first book, Black Feminist Thought (1990), became very influential. In it, Collins explained that Black women have developed their own unique viewpoints based on their experiences. She used sources like fiction, poetry, and music to show this.
The book makes three main points:
- Different forms of oppression (based on race, class, gender, etc.) are all connected.
- Black women's experiences give them a special insight into how these systems of power work.
- Black feminist ideas grew from the experiences within Black communities.
Collins also wrote about "controlling images," which are stereotypes used to put down Black women. She identified four main ones: the "mammy" (a loyal house worker), the "mule" (a woman who works tirelessly without complaint), the "jezebel" (a negative stereotype about relationships), and the "Black lady" (an educated woman who gives up family for a career). She argued these images make unfair treatment seem normal.
Other Important Books
- Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology (1992): Co-edited with Margaret L. Andersen, this book is a collection of essays that helped shape the study of intersectionality.
- Fighting Words: Black Women and the Search for Justice (1998): This book explores how Black women use their knowledge to fight for social justice.
- Black ... Politics: African Americans, Gender, and the New Racism (2004): This award-winning book argues that racism is connected to ideas about gender and relationships. It says people must fight against narrow gender roles to achieve equality.
- From Black Power to Hip Hop (2006): Collins examines the connection between Black nationalism, feminism, and the hip-hop generation. She explores how racism has changed since the Civil Rights Movement.
Awards and Honors
Patricia Hill Collins has received many awards for her work as a social thinker. Her ideas have influenced many fields, including sociology, history, and philosophy.
- C. Wright Mills Award for Black Feminist Thought (1991)
- Jessie Bernard Award from the American Sociological Association for her work on gender (1993)
- Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland (2006)
- Distinguished Scholarly Book Award for Black ... Politics (2007)
- President of the American Sociological Association (2009)
- W.E.B. Du Bois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award (2017)
- Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture (2023)
Legacy
Patricia Hill Collins is one of the most important sociologists of our time. Her work has changed how people think about race, gender, and power. Her idea of intersectionality is now used by scholars and activists all over the world.
Professor Elizabeth Higginbotham said that Collins's work helped other scholars show that studying the experiences of Black women can teach us a lot about society as a whole. Collins's books and ideas continue to inspire new generations to fight for a more just and equal world.
See also
In Spanish: Patricia Hill Collins para niños
- Standpoint feminism § Black feminism
