Robert E. Park

Robert E. Park
Born(1864-02-14)February 14, 1864
Harveyville, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, US
DiedFebruary 7, 1944(1944-02-07) (aged 79)
Nashville, Tennessee, US
Alma mater
Known for
  • Human ecology
  • race relations
  • collective behavior
SpouseClara Cahill
Children4
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
Doctoral advisors
Doctoral studentsHoward P. Becker
Roderick D. McKenzie

Robert Ezra Park (February 14, 1864 – February 7, 1944) was an American urban sociologist who is considered to be one of the most influential figures in early U.S. sociology.[1] Park was a pioneer in the field of sociology, changing it from a passive philosophical discipline to an active discipline rooted in the study of human behavior. He made significant contributions to the study of urban communities, race relations and the development of empirically grounded research methods, most notably participant observation in the field of criminology.[2] From 1905 to 1914, Park worked with Booker T. Washington at the Tuskegee Institute. After Tuskegee, he taught at the University of Chicago from 1914 to 1933, where he played a leading role in the development of the Chicago School of sociology.

Park is noted for his work in human ecology, race relations, human migration, cultural assimilation, social movements, and social disorganization.[3] He played a large role in defining sociology as a natural science and challenged the belief that sociology is a moral science.[4] He saw sociology as "...a point of view and a method for investigating the processes by which individuals are inducted into and induced to cooperate in some sort of permanent corporate existence, society."[5]

  1. ^ Brearley, H. C. (1944). "Robert Ezra Park 1864-1944". Social Forces. 22 (4): 419–419. ISSN 0037-7732.
  2. ^ Caves, R. W. (2004). Encyclopedia of the City. Routledge. pp. 504. ISBN 9780415252256.
  3. ^ Robert Ezra Park & Ernest W. Burgess. Introduction to the Science of Sociology.
  4. ^ The Anthem Companion to Robert Park. Anthem Press. 2017. ISBN 978-0-85728-184-5. JSTOR j.ctt1q8jhwd.
  5. ^ Park, Robert; Burgess, Ernest (1921). Introduction to the Science of Sociology.