biography
| name: |
Thomas, William I(saac)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1863–1947)
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| biography:
| Sociologist, born in Russell Co, Virginia, USA. He began as an English professor at Oberlin College (1889–95) before gaining a PhD in sociology at the University of Chicago. Dismissed from the University of Chicago faculty (1894–1918) after a sex scandal, he never again held a permanent appointment, but obtained research funding and visiting professorships. An empiricist, he helped to make sociology a scientific discipline, and also pioneered the study of social psychology. His most important books were Source Book for Social Origins (1909) and The Polish Peasant in Europe and America (co-written, 5 vols, 1918–20). |
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