WOMEN AND POWER IN SOCIOLOGY - SWS AS AN ARENA OF CHANGE

This article explores the ways that the feminist organization Sociolog ists for Women in Society(SWS) has become an arena of change in the di scipline of sociology, academic institutions, and larger society. We b egin with an examination of feminist models of power and change, follo wed by a brief history of SWS and an exploration of the use of power i n sociology, academia, and beyond. We find that SWS has influenced bot h the organizational governance structures of sociology (such as the A merican Sociological Association) and the production of sociological s cholarship. As a result, the presence of women is more apparent than e ver before, and sociological paradigms are more inclusive and attentiv e to the voices of ''outsiders.'' Academic institutions have been chal lenged and changed by an SWS presence and the monitoring of women's ex periences in the academy. Beyond the discipline and academia, SWS stri ves to participate in the making of public policy that affects women's lives and to be a presence both domestically and internationally in i ssues affecting the status and well-being of women. We conclude with t he recommendation that sociologists use their experiences and knowledg e to create change in the institutions where women practice and the wo rld in which they live.