A Short History of Sociology by Heinz Maus

Author:Heinz Maus [Maus, Heinz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317834342
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2014-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

XIV

AMERICAN SOCIOLOGY FACES REALITY

SOCIOLOGY in the United States differed at first only slightly from sociology in Europe, on whose achievements it drew readily. It had a tendency to emphasize the role of social psychology more than was done in Europe, and perhaps even then it went in for social reform rather than for the science of politics; but from the twenties onward its own specific character developed more and more clearly, though for quite a time this was not recognized in Europe. Finally it developed into an outstanding example of modern sociology pure and simple. This development began with the publication of three books, all of which appeared within a comparatively short space of time: An Introduction to the Science of Sociology by R. E. Park and E. W. Burgess (1918); The Polish Peasant in Europe and America by W. I. Thomas and F. Znaniecki (1918); and a collection of papers edited by R. E. Park and published in a short book entitled The City (1925).

While he was a student in Berlin the attention of R. E. Park was drawn by the Ukrainian Kistiakovsky to the distinction made by Windelband and Rickert between the natural and the other sciences; and he himself took this distinction over into his own work. His text book, written with E. W. Burgess, gave sociology in the United States its categories, and also its theoretical arguments, buttressed by citations from German and other authors. Its effect was all the greater and more practical because it did not try to develop any all-embracing system of sociology. Sociology was differentiated from the other social sciences; it was not expected to concern itself, say, primarily with speculation on history, or merely with methodology. As an empirical science it was expected to define its categories accurately; its chief interest was not to be absorbed by social problems (for example, political ones); it was no longer to concentrate its attention on society, but on the groups within society. Its task was to analyse their typical features, their organizations and their structures. Its interest should mainly be concentrated on those various social processes which take place in and between groups. And, finally, it was its duty to concern itself with social progress.

One of the characteristics of The Polish Peasant in Europe and America was a revulsion from the speculative system. One of its joint authors, WILLIAM ISAAC THOMAS (1863–1947), was originally a philologist, and his interest in sociology was first roused by Spencer's Principles. In 1895 he accepted a sociological lectureship at Chicago. His first works were influenced by ethnology, and he did not attach a great deal of importance to contemporary sociology. In 1907 he published his book Sex and Society, in which he discussed the way in which sexual differences were influenced by morals, customs, and social institutions. In 1909 he published his Source Book for Social Origins, in which he insisted that social anthropology should no longer be content to be simply a source of examples for sociology,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.