Abstract: The fifty years of the American Journal of Sociology record the development of sociological research in the United States. Its early issues show that sociologists at first were preoccupied with the formulation of the basic ideology of sociology and with the development of a system of concepts oriented to empirical research. Later, the main effort of sociologists turned to the devising and application of techniques appropriate to the study of society, including statistics, personal document and case study, typology, sociometry, and interviewing. At present there is a growing interest in integrating these techniques and in utilizing methods developed from neighboring disciplines. The maturing of sociology as a natural science of human behavior is also evidenced by the rise of self-criticism from two widely different viewpoints, those of operational sociology and of the sociology of knowledge. The chief handicaps now retarding the growth of sociological research are inadequancies in research training, cultist adherence to a favored technique, absorption of sociologists in teaching, and the limitations of personnel and funds in comparison with research opportunities.
Publication Year: 1945
Publication Date: 1945-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 13
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