Some Selected Aspects of American Sociology, September 1959 to December 1960

• DOI: 10.1177/000271626133700116
• Author: Marvin Bressler
• Published date: 01 September 1961
• Date: 01 September 1961
• Subject Matter: Articles

Some Selected Aspects of American Sociology,
September 1959 to December 1960
By MARVIN BRESSLER
HE
despair of American sociology
Certainly, by one conventional test,
is the shadow that lies between its
the vulgar criterion of gross quantitative
attainments and ultimate aspirations; its
increase in productivity, advance in soci-
consolations rest on the achievements of
ological scholarship has been truly im-
its recent history. Thus, in a knowing
posing, almost alarming. In 1948 the
and disarming essay on the state of the
gifted Edward Shils could still dare to
discipline published during the months
produce singlehandedly and without
covered by this report, Wilbert Moore
notable misgivings a comprehensive
is willing to acknowledge the serious-
monograph containing summaries and
ness of sociology’s remote and secret
critical evaluations of most areas of
imperialist aims, but only in the mock
sociological inquiry.2
2
Only eight years
language of sacred declaration:’ &dquo;I do
later, Hans Zetterberg felt obliged to
personally confess, however, to a deep
assemble a team of twenty-one collabo-
faith in sociology as the generalizing
rators to conduct a comparable enter-
social science, and to the conviction
prise because &dquo;it is no longer feasible
that we shall inherit the Kingdom of
for one person to master all phases of
Earth, if not of Heaven.&dquo; When, how-
sociological research findings in the
ever, he regards the contemporary world,
United States.&dquo; 3
Similar strategies
Moore, like most of his fellows, is con-
were adopted by Merton, Broom, and
tent to settle for the more sober claim
Cottrell and by Gittler, the editors
that &dquo;sociology has grown, by any con-
of the two compendia of sociological
ventional test, that it has gained in-
wisdom that have appeared in the past
creasing if grudging recognition outside
several years.4 Robin Williams’ review
its own professional ranks,&dquo; and that he
2
Edward Shils, The Present State of Amer-
has the &dquo;impression of progress in soci-
ican Sociology (Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press,
ological scholarship.&dquo;
1948).
3
Hans L. Zetterberg, Sociology in the United
1
Wilbert E. Moore, "The Whole State of
States of America (Paris: UNESCO, 1956).
Sociology," American Sociological Review, Vol.
4
Robert K. Merton, Leonard Broom, and
24 (October 1959), No. 5, pp. 715-718.
Leonard S. Cottrell, Jr., Sociology Today:
Marvin Bressler, Ph.D., Levittown, Pennsylvania, is Professor of Sociology in the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Chairman of the Department of Educational
Sociology and Anthropology of the School of Education at New York University. He
also is research consultant in sociology at the Karen Horney Clinic in New York. He has
previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania and at Princeton University. He is
coauthor of Indian Students on an American Campus (1956) and senior author of Tax-
Supported Medical Institutional Care for the Needy and Medically Needy of Pennsylvania
(1957) and Career Dynamics of the Nursing Profession (1958). He is a frequent
contributor and reviewer for academic journals.
146

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147
of a decade of research in racial and
whether what we say is true, but it is
cultural relations, one of nineteen topics
at least significant&dquo; and those who say
which comprise the Gittler volume, in-
&dquo;This is demonstrably so, but we cannot
cludes a &dquo;partial&dquo; bibliographical listing
indicate its significance. 11
6
More inclu-
of 210 items, and W. Lloyd Warner
sively, Moore refers to the &dquo;preference
thoughtfully appends some 268 refer-
of some sociologists for naming things,
ences to his survey of social stratifica-
of others for asking ’significant’ ques-
tion.5
And there is absolutely no
tions, and of others for finding ’signifi-
prospect of any moratorium on this
cant’ answers,&dquo; while Mills furnishes us
formidable output.
with the perjorative companion cate-
So much affluence invites efforts at
gories of &dquo;grand theory,&dquo; &dquo;abstracted
classification, and, indeed, a number of
empiricism,&dquo; and &dquo;bureaucratic practi-
sociologists have tried to impose some
cavity. 11 7
semblance of order on the new abun-
In truth, sociologists do tend to define
dance.
A number of the resultant
themselves as members of one of three
taxonomies are remarkably similar.
loosely related clans pursuing quite di-
Merton distinguishes between those
verse occupational goals and modus
whose motto is &dquo;We do not know
operandi. The Pure Scientists, the Ac-
tionists, and those who seek Significance.
Problems and Prospects (New York: Basic
The epistemology of the Pure Scientist
Books, 1959); Joseph P. Gittler (ed.), Review
is extracted from the
of Sociology: Analysis of a Decade (New
logic of experi-
York: John Wiley and Sons, 1957). Both of
mental inquiry; his favorite glow word
these anthologies are encyclopedic in scope and
is &dquo;empirical,&dquo; by which he ordinarily
should be consulted for reviews and bibliogra-
means quantitative; his devil-symbol is
phies in conventional sociological specialties.
&dquo;arm-chair
Sociology Today has five major sections:
philosophizing&dquo;; and his
"Problems in
chief conceit is
Sociological Theory and Meth-
that, in contrast to the
odology," "Problems in the Sociology of
&dquo;tender-minded,&dquo; who seem always to be
Institutions," "The Group and the Person,"
babbling about value problems, he him-
"Problems in Demographic and Social Struc-
self is quite above any such untidy
ture," and "Selected Applications of Soci-
ology." For additional information on the
preoccupation with moral issues. The
characteristics and interests of American soci-
Actionists and the school of Significance,
ologists, see Matilda White Riley, "Member-
on the other hand, are alike in their
ship of the American Sociological Association,
willingness to subordinate methodologi-
1950-59," American Sociological Review, Vol.
cal
25
nicety to the demands of an agonized
(December 1960), No. 6, pp. 914-926.
social
Charles A.
conscience. But where the Ac-
Page, "Report of the Editor of the
American Sociological Review," American
tionists are content to dwell in a finite
Sociological Review, Vol. 25 (December 1960),
world in which, as middlemen of the
No. 6, pp. 940-942 is an instructive summary
mind, they translate the knowledge of
of the nature of contributions to the official
the social sciences for the benefit of
organ of the Association.
He writes that
"some areas of
social
sociological and social concern
work, the more ambitious votaries
—notably social change, collective behavior,
of Significance serve as liaison men be-
popular culture, and especially military soci-
tween social science and social philoso-
ology—have been underrepresented in the
Review." This last named specialty has re-
6
Robert K. Merton, "The Bearing of Soci-
cently been treated by Morris Janowitz in
ological Theory on Empirical Research," in
Sociology and the Military Establishment
R. K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Struc-
(New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1959).
ture (rev. ed.; Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press, 1957),
5
Robin M. Williams, Jr., "Racial and Cul-
p. 85.
tural Relations," pp. 423-464; W. Lloyd
7
Wilbert E. Moore, loc. cit.; C. Wright
Warner, "The Study of Social Stratification,"
Mills, The Sociological Imagination (New
pp. 221-258; in Gittler (ed.), op. cit.
York: Oxford University Press, 1959).

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148
phy. The Actionist &dquo;solves problems&dquo;
aspects of contemporary research and
-he deals with the maladjusted child,
thought. In choosing specific topics for
the alcoholic, the employee with poor
inclusion, I have been mindful of the
morale. The man of Significance &dquo;il-
&dquo;shop talk&dquo; in the corridors and of the
luminates issues&dquo;-he deals with free-
criterion of &dquo;importance&dquo; as reflected
dom, alienation, crisis.8
by intellectual excellence, impact on
All such classifications tend to obscure
the field, or capacity to challenge the
complexity, and, of course, irony should
conventional wisdom of sociology.
not be mistaken for reality. Some soci-
METASOCIOLOGY
ologists appear thoroughly comfortable
in the several mansions of sociology,
The classic nineteenth and early
while others, not so successful, have
twentieth century treatise on sociological
achieved at least the honorable status
thought almost always included a sub-
of marginal men. Yet, I am persuaded
stantial section devoted to the justifica-
that the disjunction of men of Science,
tion of sociology as a distinctive and
Action, and Significance is demonstrable
independent discipline. This tradition
and that many of the issues which en-
of mixed assertiveness and defensiveness
gage the passions of contemporary soci-
persists in modified fashion today in the
ologists may be faithfully depicted in
form of self-conscious attempts to indi-
these terms.
cate the approaches and map the bound-
The references to recent developments
aries of a still uncertain field.10 Efforts
in sociological analysis which appear in
in this direction were most notably
ensuing sections have deliberately drawn
represented during the period under
on only a minute sample of the total
review by the abstruse and comprehen-
universe of contributions which might
sive formulations of Parsonian theory
be treated with the prevailing quasi-
10

metaphysical divisions of the science of
See the suggestion by Adler that the
"basic unit ... for the...