Marianne Weber and the (wo)men's condition. Love as a device for social change

Marianne Weber’s recognition is often framed within two perspectives: as the wife of sociologist Max Weber, overshadowed by him, and as a feminist thinker. This dual reception is more evident when examining the limited English translations of her works. Aside from her biography of Max Weber (1926), few of her writings are available in English. Key translations include excerpts in The Women Founders (1998) and the retranslation of Authority and Autonomy in Marriage in Sociological Theory (2003). This selective focus has constrained her originality to practical women’s issues, reinforcing a dichotomy between male academic and female extra-academic sociological knowledge. This chapter seeks to highlight Weber’s original contributions to the sociology of emotions within German historical sociology and cultural sciences. It focuses on four aspects of her love theory: Love’s relevance to both men and women and their mutual recognition. Love as a cultural product and transformative device for gendered symbolic classifications. The legal role of love in organizing intimate life within family and marriage. The different forms and practices of love, eros, and sexuality concerning individual autonomy in private and public spheres. The analysis underscores her innovative conceptual framework, including cultivation processes, gendered dispositions, and spiritual capital, viewed through a gender-inclusive lens.