Nancy C. M. Hartsock papers (Ms.2010.006)

Biographical note

Nancy C. M. Hartsock (b. 1943) was a highly published feminist thinker, political theorist, and professor. After graduating with her A.B. from Wellesley College in 1965, Hartsock went on to the University of Chicago, receiving her M.A. in 1967 and her Ph.D. in 1972. As a scholar, Hartsock’s academic specialties include political theory, feminist theory, political economy, and comparative politics.

Hartsock published many books, chapters, journal articles, and reviews over her career as well as serving on various editorial boards. Two of her books are Money, Sex, and Power: Toward a Feminist Historical Materialism (1983, 1984) and The Feminist Standpoint Revisited and Other Essays (1998).

In developing her own scholarly work, Hartsock looked to well-known thinkers to answer questions about the role of women in politics and found direction with Karl Marx, specifically. She thoroughly studied his theories and wrote on Marxism with a feminist focus. Over time, Hartsock’s focus shifted to postmodernism.

She taught political science at a number of institutions, including the University of Michigan, The Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University. As a professor at the University of Washington, starting in 1984, Hartsock taught political science and women’s studies courses. She was also the founding director of the Center for Women and Democracy at the University.

Hartsock was an active member in many professional associations, including American Political Science Association, Western Political Science Association, Conference for the Study of Political Thought, and Society for Values in Higher Education. She passed away from breast cancer in 2015.