Janet Wolff

British sociologist (born 1943) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Janet Wolff (born 25 March 1943) is a British sociologist and art historian. After working for some time as a secretary at the North Western Gas Board, she decided to attend university after seeing her sister go to one, and she obtained her BSS and PhD at the University of Birmingham. She worked at University of Leeds, University of Rochester, Columbia University, and eventually the University of Manchester, where she retired as professor emeritus. She has written several books on sociology and art studies, and following her retirement from Manchester, the history of Manchester.

Born25 March 1943 (age 82)

Manchester, United Kingdom

Occupations

Sociologist
art historian
aesthetician

AwardsGuggenheim Fellowship (1993)

Alma materUniversity of Birmingham

Quick facts Born, Occupations ...

Janet Wolff
Born	(1943-03-25) 25 March 1943 (age 82) Manchester, United Kingdom
Occupations	Sociologist art historian aesthetician
Awards	Guggenheim Fellowship (1993)

Academic background
Alma mater	University of Birmingham
Academic work
Discipline	Sociology of art
Institutions	University of Leeds University of Rochester Columbia University University of Manchester

Biography

Early life and education

Wolff, of German Jewish descent,^[1] was born on 25 March 1943 in Manchester to Rosabelle (née Noar) and chemist/company director Arthur Wolff.^[2] Her father was born in Berlin and fled the antisemitic Nazi regime to Eccles, Greater Manchester, working for Lankro Chemicals.^[1] Several of her relatives were murdered in the Holocaust.^[1]

Wolff's family lived in northern Manchester before they moved to Didsbury, and she was educated at Manchester High School for Girls.^[1] She attended Miss Wilkinson's Secretarial College for Gentlewomen and worked at the North Western Gas Board as a manager's private secretary.^[1] She then decided to attend a university after her sister went to one in Bristol, and she studied moral and political philosophy at the University of Birmingham, where she obtained a BSS with first class honors in 1968 and a PhD in sociology and the arts in 1972.^[1]^[2] She also spent two years attending the London Contemporary Dance School from 1970 to 1972.^[2]

Academic and writing career

In 1973,^[2] Wolff became a lecturer at University of Leeds after Zygmunt Bauman offered a teaching job there.^[1] She stepped down from her job at Leeds in 1989 and moved to California.^[1] She was Professor of Art History/Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester,^[3] where she directed the PhD program in visual and cultural studies (1991–2001).^[4] She was later Professor of Arts at Columbia University,^[5] where she served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of the Arts from 2001 to 2006.^[4] She eventually received several job offers from institutions based in the UK,^[1] and in 2006, she became a professor at the University of Manchester.^[4] She retired from the university in 2010 and was eventually promoted to professor emeritus.^[4]

Wolff focuses on the sociology of art; aesthetics; and 20th-century art.^[4] She is author of Hermeneutic Philosophy and the Sociology of Art (1975), Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art (1983), Feminine Sentences: Essays on Women and Culture (1990), Resident Alien: Feminist Cultural Criticism (1995), and AngloModern: Painting and Modernity in Britain and the United States (2003), and she edited The Sociology of Literature: Theoretical Approaches (1977) with Jane Routh.^[2] She was part of the British Sociological Association's executive committee from 1977 to 1979.^[2] In 1993, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.^[6]

Wolff became interested in non-academic writing after retiring from Manchester.^[4] In 2017, she published Austerity Baby, a narrative volume on exile and displacement, through Manchester University Press.^[7] She has also co-edited several books on the history of Manchester, such as Culture in Manchester (2013), The Photographs of Zygmunt Bauman (2023), and The Simons of Manchester (2024).^[4]

Personal life

Originally living in Woodhouse during her time at Leeds,^[2] Wolff moved to Didsbury as part of her return to the United Kingdom.^[1] After the United Kingdom voted in favor of Brexit, Wolff became a German dual citizen by descent.^[1]

Although Wolff had often went to synagogues with her parents during her youth, the family "[wasn't] very involved",^[1] and she later identified as a Jewish atheist after starting her academic career.^[2]

Wolff was once diagnosed with thyroid cancer, something she attributed to water tainted by the Windscale fire in 1957.^[1]

Works

Hermeneutic Philosophy and the Sociology of Art (1975)^[a]
(ed. with Jane Routh) The Sociology of Literature: Theoretical Approaches (1977)^[13]
(ed. with Michele Barrett, Philip Corrigan, and Annette Kuhn) Ideology and Cultural Production (1979)^[b]
The Social Production of Art (1981)^[c]
Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art (1983)^[d]
(ed. with John Seed) The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class (1988)^[e]
Feminine Sentences: Essays on Women and Culture (1990)^[f]
Resident Alien: Feminist Cultural Criticism (1995)^[g]
AngloModern: Painting and Modernity in Britain and the United States (2003)^[h]
The Aesthetics of Uncertainty (2008)^[51]
(ed. with Mike Savage) Culture in Manchester (2013)^[4]
(ed. with Jackie Stacey) Writing Otherwise (2013)^[4]
(ed. with Peter Beilharz) The Photographs of Zygmunt Bauman (2023)^[4]
(ed. with John Ayshford and others) The Simons of Manchester (2024)^[4]

Notes

[a]
Reviews of this book: ^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]
[b]
Reviews of this book: ^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]
[c]
Reviews of this book: ^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21]^[22]^[23]
[d]
Reviews of this book: ^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29]
[e]
Reviews of this book: ^[30]^[31]^[32]^[33]^[34]^[35]^[36]^[37]^[38]^[39]^[40]^[41]
[f]
Reviews of this book: ^[42]^[43]
[g]
Reviews of this book: ^[44]^[45]^[46]^[47]^[48]
[h]
Reviews of this book: ^[49]^[50]

References

[1]
Wachmann, Doreen. "Janet's love-hate relationship with her home country". Jewish Telegraph. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
[2]
"Wolff, Janet 1943–". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
[3]
"Janet Wolff". NYU Press. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
[4]
"Janet Wolff". University of Manchester. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
[5]
"AngloModern by Janet Wolff | Paperback". Cornell University Press. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
[6]
"Janet Wolff". Guggenheim Fellowships. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
[7]
"Manchester University Press – Austerity baby". Manchester University Press. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
[8]
James, Kim (1976). "Review of Hermeneutic Philosophy and the Sociology of Arts". Leonardo. 9 (3): 248–248. doi:10.2307/1573579. ISSN 0024-094X. JSTOR 1573579.
[9]
Kavolis, Vytautas (1975). "Review of Hermeneutic Philosophy and the Sociology of Art: An Approach to Some of the Epistemological Problems of the Sociology of Knowledge and the Sociology of Art and Literature". The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 34 (2): 215–215. doi:10.2307/430087. ISSN 0021-8529. JSTOR 430087.
[10]
Laurenson, Diana (1976). "Review of Hermeneutic Philosophy and the Sociology of Art". The British Journal of Sociology. 27 (1): 105–106. doi:10.2307/589572. ISSN 0007-1315. JSTOR 589572.
[11]
Rosenblum, Barbara (1977). "Review of Hermeneutic Philosophy and the Sociology of Art". American Journal of Sociology. 83 (2): 495–499. ISSN 0002-9602. JSTOR 2778317.
[12]
Sharon, Batia (1977). "Review of Hermeneutic Philosophy and the Sociology of Art: An Approach to some of the Epistemological Problems of the Sociology of Knowledge and the Sociology of Art and Literature". Contemporary Sociology. 6 (3): 304–304. doi:10.2307/2064783. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2064783.
[13]
Selden, Raman (1979). "Review of The Sociology of Literature: Theoretical Approaches; The Sociology of Literature: Applied Studies". Sociology. 13 (1): 154–157. ISSN 0038-0385. JSTOR 42852079.
[14]
Goldfarb, Jeffrey C. (1981). "Review of Ideology and Cultural Production". Contemporary Sociology. 10 (2): 219–219. doi:10.2307/2066865. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2066865.
[15]
Selden, Raman (1980). "The Problem of 'Relative Autonomy' in Cultural Studies". Sociology. 14 (2): 301–306. ISSN 0038-0385. JSTOR 42852181.
[16]
Tristram, R. J. (1980). "Review of Ideology and Cultural Production". The British Journal of Sociology. 31 (4): 589–590. doi:10.2307/589798. ISSN 0007-1315. JSTOR 589798.
[17]
Wilson, Robert N. (1980). "Review of Ideology and Cultural Production". Social Forces. 58 (3): 975–976. doi:10.2307/2577202. ISSN 0037-7732. JSTOR 2577202.
[18]
Bowler, Anne (1984). "Review of The Social Production of Art". Social Forces. 62 (4): 1122–1124. doi:10.2307/2578588. ISSN 0037-7732. JSTOR 2578588.
[19]
DiMaggio, Paul J. (1983). "The Sociology of Art Comes of Age". Contemporary Sociology. 12 (3): 272–274. doi:10.2307/2068956. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2068956.
[20]
Griswold, Wendy (1983). "Review of The Social Production of Art". American Journal of Sociology. 89 (3): 730–732. ISSN 0002-9602. JSTOR 2779025.
[21]
Schaefer, Jean Owens (1991). "Marxism, the Sociology of Art, and Women Artists". Woman's Art Journal. 12 (1): 53–55. doi:10.2307/1358194. ISSN 0270-7993. JSTOR 1358194.
[22]
Weismann, Donald L. (1983). "Review of The Social Production of Art". Social Science Quarterly. 64 (1): 218–219. ISSN 0038-4941. JSTOR 42861532.
[23]
Wright, Edmond (1983). "Review of The Social Production of Art; Beyond Art. What Art Is and Might Become if Freed from Cultural Elitism". Poetics Today. 4 (1): 141–144. doi:10.2307/1772160. ISSN 0333-5372. JSTOR 1772160.
[24]
Beardsley, Monroe C. (1984). "Review of Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art". Journal of Aesthetic Education. 18 (1): 123–123. doi:10.2307/3332581. ISSN 0021-8510. JSTOR 3332581.
[25]
Fyfe, G. J. (1983). "Review of Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art". Sociology. 17 (4): 618–620. ISSN 0038-0385. JSTOR 42852669.
[26]
Hamblen, Karen A. (1995). "Review of Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art". Journal of Aesthetic Education. 29 (4): 107–110. doi:10.2307/3333296. ISSN 0021-8510. JSTOR 3333296.
[27]
Hill, Michael R. (1985). "Review of Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art (Controversies in Sociology No. 14)". Mid-American Review of Sociology. 10 (1): 91–92. ISSN 0732-913X. JSTOR 23252978.
[28]
Kavolis, Vytautas (1983). "Review of Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art". The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 42 (2): 222–223. doi:10.2307/430667. ISSN 0021-8529. JSTOR 430667.
[29]
Rosenblum, Barbara (1983). "Review of Aesthetics and the Sociology of Art". Contemporary Sociology. 12 (6): 669–670. doi:10.2307/2068039. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2068039.
[30]
Alfrey, Nicholas (1990). "Review of Art and Politics of the Second Empire: The Universal Expositions of 1855 and 1867; The Culture of Capital: Art, Power, and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class". The Burlington Magazine. 132 (1049): 582–582. ISSN 0007-6287. JSTOR 884373.
[31]
Brain, David (1989). "Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class". American Journal of Sociology. 95 (1): 270–271. ISSN 0002-9602. JSTOR 2780457.
[32]
Frisby, David (1989). "Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class, Manchester". Sociology. 23 (1): 160–162. ISSN 0038-0385. JSTOR 42854615.
[33]
Griswold, Wendy (1990). "Into Something Rich and Strange: Contrasting Perspectives on the Visual Arts". Contemporary Sociology. 19 (4): 508–511. doi:10.2307/2072774. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2072774.
[34]
Hichberger, Joan (1989). "Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class". Victorian Studies. 32 (4): 594–595. ISSN 0042-5222. JSTOR 3828272.
[35]
Hoppit, Julian (1991). "A Very Polite and Commercial People". Journal of British Studies. 30 (3): 345–349. ISSN 0021-9371. JSTOR 176046.
[36]
Kidd, Alan (1989). "Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class". Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 21 (2): 323–325. doi:10.2307/4049956. ISSN 0095-1390. JSTOR 4049956.
[37]
"Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class". Labour / Le Travail. 22: 380–380. 1988. doi:10.2307/25143121. ISSN 0700-3862. JSTOR 25143121.
[38]
MacKenzie, John M. (1989). "Review of The Culture of Capital: art, power and the nineteenth- century middle class". History. 74 (242): 549–549. ISSN 0018-2648. JSTOR 24414447.
[39]
Nenadic, Stana (1989). "Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power, and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class". Urban History Yearbook. [16]: 190–191. ISSN 0306-0845. JSTOR 44610120.
[40]
Perkin, Harold (1990). "Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middle Class; Englishness: Politics and Culture, 1880-1920". The Journal of Modern History. 62 (2): 374–377. ISSN 0022-2801. JSTOR 1881269.
[41]
Pollard, Sidney (1990). "Review of The Culture of Capital: Art, Power and the Nineteenth-Century Middel Class". VSWG: Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte. 77 (4): 544–544. ISSN 0340-8728. JSTOR 20735799.
[42]
Ferris, Lesley (1992). "Absent Bodies, Dancing Bodies, Broken Dishes: Feminist Theory, Postmodernism, and the Performing Arts". Signs. 18 (1): 162–172. ISSN 0097-9740. JSTOR 3174731.
[43]
Turner, Bryan S. (1992). "Review of Feminine Sentences: Essays on Women and Culture". Contemporary Sociology. 21 (5): 724–725. doi:10.2307/2075596. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2075596.
[44]
Bywater, William (1996). "Review of Resident Alien: Feminist Cultural Criticism". The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 54 (4): 412–413. doi:10.2307/431938. ISSN 0021-8529. JSTOR 431938.
[45]
Curry, Renée R. (1996). "Review of Resident Alien: Feminist Cultural Criticism". Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature. 50 (1): 110–112. doi:10.2307/1348363. ISSN 0361-1299. JSTOR 1348363.
[46]
Daniel, Jamie Owen (1996). "The Romance of Marginality". The Women's Review of Books. 13 (6): 22–23. doi:10.2307/4022415. ISSN 0738-1433. JSTOR 4022415.
[47]
Philippi, Desa (1998). "Changes at a Standstill". Oxford Art Journal. 21 (1): 149–154. ISSN 0142-6540. JSTOR 1360704.
[48]
Starr, Chelsea (1996). "Review of Material Girls: Making Sense of Feminist Cultural Theory.; Resident Alien: Feminist Cultural Criticism". Contemporary Sociology. 25 (6): 818–820. doi:10.2307/2077318. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2077318.
[49]
Corbett, David Peters (2005). "Anglo-Modernism: Gender, Ethnicity and Value". Oxford Art Journal. 28 (3): 488–491. ISSN 0142-6540. JSTOR 4500036.
[50]
Duran, Jane (2005). "Review of Anglomodern: Painting and Modernity in Britain and the United States". Journal of Aesthetic Education. 39 (2): 118–120. ISSN 0021-8510. JSTOR 3527413.
[51]
Haskins, Casey (2009). "Review of The Aesthetics of Uncertainty". The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 67 (4): 427–429. ISSN 0021-8529. JSTOR 25622106.

Early life and education

Academic and writing career

Personal life

Related Articles