The Basics of Sociology

mist. Lester Ward (18411913), profiled in chapter 10, was a biologist. Georg
Simmel (18581918), profiled in chapter 5, was a philosopher. Even today, sociologists come to the discipline from varying backgrounds, such as Andrew M.
Greeley (1928), a Catholic priest turned sociologist profiled in chapter 10.
The U.S. growth of academic sociology coincided with the establishment and upgrading of many universities that were including a new focus on
graduate departments and curricula on modern subjects (Collins 1994, 41). In
1876, Yale Universitys William Graham Sumner (18401910), profiled in chapter 3, taught the first course identified as sociology in the United States. The
University of Chicago established the first graduate department of sociology in
the United States in 1892. By 1910, most colleges and universities were offering
sociology courses, although not in separate departments. Thirty years later, most
of these schools had established sociology departments (Bloom 2002, 2537).
Sociology was first taught in high schools in 191112 (Grier 1971; cited in
DeCesare 2002, 303).
Sociology was also growing in Germany and France during this period.
Britain was later in developing sociology as core academic area. However, the
discipline in Europe suffered great setbacks as a result of World Wars I and II.
The Nazis hated sociology, and many sociologists were killed or fled Germany
and France between 1933 and the end of World War II (Collins 1994, 46). As
Erwin Scheuch notes, it is easier to name sociologists who did not emigrate as
the Nazi regime came to power than to list the migrs (2000, 1075). After
World War II, sociologists returned to Germany influenced by their studies in
America. The result was that American sociologists became the world leaders in
theory and research for many years.
The 1970s saw a vigorous expansion in British and European academic circles (Collins 1994), as well as in sociology around the world. For example, most German universities now offer sociology degrees up to doctorate
level, and there are a variety of institutes for academic, market, and social research (Scheuch 2000). Sociology in Japan was first taught in the late 1800s,
largely as a German import. Since the 1960s, American sociology has been influential there (Sasaki 2000). Indian sociology derives from work of British civil
servants and missionaries that were interested in understanding people to better
conduct business and evangelization activities. Predating sociology, Thomas
Robert Malthus (17661834), a clergyman and political economist profiled in
chapter 8, was a professor at the East India Companys college. Formal teaching
of sociology started in India in the early 1900s. Sociology is now a core subject
at many colleges and universities there, and several Indian research institutes
now exist (Shah 2000).
Sociology has grown into a diverse and dynamic discipline, experiencing a proliferation of specialty areas. The American Sociological Association
(ASA) was formed as the American Sociological Society in 1905 with 115
members (Rhoades 1981). By the end of 2004, it had grown to almost 14,000
members and more than 40 sections covering specific areas of interest. Many
other countries also have large national sociology organizations. The Interna10

Introduction
Table 1.1
The Sociological Focus as Compared with Other Social Sciences

Source: Henslin (2001c, 1112).

tional Sociological Association (ISA) boasted more than 3,300 members in 2004
from 91 different countries. The ISA sponsored research committees covering
more than 50 different areas of interest, covering topics as diverse as children,
aging, families, law, emotions, sexuality, religion, mental health, peace and war,
and work (see chapter 11). There is even a fast-growing subfield of sociology
that focuses on the relationships between humans and other animals (e.g., Alger
and Alger 2003, Arluke and Sanders, 1996, Irvine, 2004). Additionally, courses
on animals and society are increasingly being included in college and university
offerings.
Sociology grew out of, and overlaps with, many disciplines. However, it
also extends the boundaries of many traditional disciplines. As shown in table
1.1, sociologist James M. Henslin (2001c: 1112) contrasts sociology with the
other social sciences.
Many concepts that originated in sociology have been adopted by other
disciplines. Sociologists have, likewise, adopted concepts from other disciplines.
For example, Herbert Spencer (18201903), one of the earliest sociologists, profiled in chapter 2, used the concept of structure that is now used in anthropology
and political science (Dogan 2000). Sociologists also work with specialists in
other disciplines. Sociology provides much of the theory and research applied
by social workers in their practice. The field of social psychology has even developed that combines the individualistic perspective of psychology and the
focus on interaction and social influence of sociology.
11