Sociology in government : the Galpin-Taylor years in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1919-1953 / Olaf F. Larson and Julie N. Zimmerman ; assisted by Edward O. Moe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Larson, Olaf F.

Contributor:

Zimmerman, Julie N.

Moe, Edward O.

Rural Sociological Society.

American Sociological Association

Series:

Rural studies series (University Park, Pa.)

Rural studies series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Galpin, Charles Josiah, 1864-1947.

Galpin, Charles Josiah.

Taylor, Carl C. (Carl Cleveland), 1884-1975.

Taylor, Carl C.

United States. Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Division of Farm Population and Rural Life--History.

United States.

United States. Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Division of Farm Population and Rural Life.

Sociology, Rural--United States--History--20th century.

Sociology, Rural.

History.

United States--Rural conditions.

Rural conditions.

Physical Description:

xvii, 341 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

University Park, Pa. : Pennsylvania State University Press, [2003]

Summary:

From 1919 through 1953, the U.S. Department of Agriculture housed the Division of Farm Population and Rural Life -- the first unit within the federal government established specifically for sociological research. Distinguished sociologists Charles Galpin and Carl Taylor provided key leadership for thirty-two of its thirty-four years as the Division sought to understand the social structure of rural America and to do public policy-oriented research. It reached the height of its influence during the New Deal and World War II as it helped implement modern liberal policies in America's farming sector, attempting to counteract the harsh effects of modern industrialism on the rural economy. In addition, the Division devoted resources to studying both the history and the contemporary state of rural social life. Sociology in Government offers the first detailed historical account and systematic documentation of this remarkable federal office.

The Division of Farm Population and Rural Life was an archetypal New Deal governmental body, deeply engaged in research on agricultural planning and action programs for the disadvantaged in rural areas. Its work continued during World War II with farm labor and community organization work. Larson and Zimmerman emphasize the Division's pioneering practices, presenting it as one model for applying the discipline of sociology in the government setting. Published in cooperation with the American Sociological Association, Sociology in Government preserves the history of this pathbreaking research unit whose impact is still felt today.

Contents:

2 Establishing the Division: The Background 11

3 The Division as an Organization 25

4 Research Priorities and Programs: Continuities and Discontinuities 45

5 Farm and Rural Population 57

6 Levels and Standards of Living 71

7 The Social Organization of Rural Society: Locality and Other Groups 87

8 The Social Organization of Rural Life: Institutions and Services 113

9 Farm Labor 129

10 The Sociology of Agriculture 149

11 The Division and Black Populations / Yvonne Oliver 171

12 The Practice of Sociology 189

15 The Division and the Social Science Research System 269

16 Retrospect and Reflections 277

Appendix Persons on the Professional Staff of the Division of Farm Population and Rural Life, Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1919-1953 283.

Notes:

"Published in cooperation with the Rural Sociological Society and the American Sociological Association."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-321) and index.

ISBN:

0271022981

OCLC:

51607517