Difference between revisions of "Pitirim Sorokin" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Category:Biography]]
 
[[Category:Biography]]
  
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'''Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin''' (born on January 21, 1889, in a village  of Turya, in northern Russia - died 1968 in USA) was an important figure in the 20th century American sociology, and a founder of the department of sociology at Harvard University. 
  
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== Life ==
  
'''Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin''' ([[1889]]-[[1968]]) immigrated from [[Russia]] to the [[United States]] in 1923 where he founded the Department of [[Sociology]] at [[Harvard University]]. Like [[C. W. Mills]], he was a vocal opponent of [[Talcott Parsons]]' theories.
 
  
 
==Works==
 
==Works==
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Sorokin is author of books such as ''The crisis of our age'' and ''Power and morality'', but his [[magnum opus]] is ''Social and Cultural Dynamics'' (1937-1941). His unorthodox theories contributed to the [[social cycle theory]] and inspired (or alienated) many sociologists.  
 
Sorokin is author of books such as ''The crisis of our age'' and ''Power and morality'', but his [[magnum opus]] is ''Social and Cultural Dynamics'' (1937-1941). His unorthodox theories contributed to the [[social cycle theory]] and inspired (or alienated) many sociologists.  
  
 
In his ''Social and Cultural Dynamics'' he classified societies according to their 'cultural mentality', which can be ideational (reality as spiritual), sensate (reality is material), or idealistic (a synthesis of the two). He has interpreted the contemporary [[Western civilisation]] as a sensate civilisation dedicated to [[technological progress]] and prophesied its fall into decandence and the emergence of a new ideational or idealistic era.
 
In his ''Social and Cultural Dynamics'' he classified societies according to their 'cultural mentality', which can be ideational (reality as spiritual), sensate (reality is material), or idealistic (a synthesis of the two). He has interpreted the contemporary [[Western civilisation]] as a sensate civilisation dedicated to [[technological progress]] and prophesied its fall into decandence and the emergence of a new ideational or idealistic era.
  
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== Legacy ==
  
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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* Cuzzort, R. P. and King, E. W. (1995). <i>Twentieth-Century social thought</i>  (5th ed.). New York, NY: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
 
* Cuzzort, R. P. and King, E. W. (1995). <i>Twentieth-Century social thought</i>  (5th ed.). New York, NY: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
 
* Mills, C. W. (2000). <i>The sociological imagination.</i> New York, NY: The Oxford University Press
 
* Mills, C. W. (2000). <i>The sociological imagination.</i> New York, NY: The Oxford University Press

Revision as of 19:18, 16 January 2006


Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin (born on January 21, 1889, in a village of Turya, in northern Russia - died 1968 in USA) was an important figure in the 20th century American sociology, and a founder of the department of sociology at Harvard University.

Life

Works

Sorokin is author of books such as The crisis of our age and Power and morality, but his magnum opus is Social and Cultural Dynamics (1937-1941). His unorthodox theories contributed to the social cycle theory and inspired (or alienated) many sociologists.

In his Social and Cultural Dynamics he classified societies according to their 'cultural mentality', which can be ideational (reality as spiritual), sensate (reality is material), or idealistic (a synthesis of the two). He has interpreted the contemporary Western civilisation as a sensate civilisation dedicated to technological progress and prophesied its fall into decandence and the emergence of a new ideational or idealistic era.

Legacy

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Cuzzort, R. P. and King, E. W. (1995). Twentieth-Century social thought (5th ed.). New York, NY: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
  • Mills, C. W. (2000). The sociological imagination. New York, NY: The Oxford University Press
  • Sorokin, P. A. (1970). Social and Cultural Dynamics. Boston, MA: Porter Sargent Publishers.
  • Sorokin, P. A. (1992). The crisis of our age. Chatam, NY: Oneworld Publications, Ltd
  • Sorokin, P. A. and Lunden, W. A. (1959). Power and morality: who shall guard the guardians? Boston, MA: Porter Sargent Publishers.


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