Harriet Martineau: A Delayed Admission into the Annals of Word Sociology

This article presents Harriet Martineau, a 19th century woman sociologist and her sociological work. She became famous because of her popularisation of social sciences (especially political economy), her literary and journalistic work and women's rights activism. It was not before the 1960s when she was 'discovered' by American sociology. This article tries to reconstruct the process of that 'discovery'. Then, her three major sociological works are described: 'How to Observe Morals and Manners', which is a first methodological guide to fieldwork. 'Society in America' - an analysis of the development of new American Society. 'The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte Freely Translated and Condensed' - the first translation of Comte's book into the English language. Finally, the authoress presents arguments why Harriet Martineau should be considered a pioneer of sociology and was one of its major representatives in the 19th century English speaking world.