Harriet Presser

Who was Harriet Presser?

Harriet B. Presser was a sociologist and demographer. Having served on the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, for more than 30 years, at the time of her death she was a Distinguished University Professor. She was elected president of the Population Association of America for the year 1989. In addition, she was awarded the Jessie Bernard Award from the American Sociological Association in 2010, and was elected as a Fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2002. As a scholar, she studied the intersection of gender, work and family, and pioneered the sociological specialization in that area. She was widely recognized for bringing a feminist perspective to the demographic study of such issues as fertility, child care, housework, and the effects of the global 24/7 service economy.

In 2009, the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population held a special session in her honor, titled "Cross-Cultural Challenges to Research on Gender and Population", at its 26th International Population Conference in Marrakesh.