Criminology Commons^™

Gouldner's Tragic Vision, James Chriss

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Publications

Classical literature, specifically ancient Greek philosophy and especially the study of Greek tragedy, is helpful in tracing out and understanding the transitions Alvin Gouldner made during his career as a sociologist. This article argues that a latent tragic orientation or vision existed during Gouldner's early career as a standout in the field of industrial sociology and that this tragic vision became manifest around 1962 as Gouldner was developing more and more strident denunciations of establishment sociology. This case study of Gouldner's career teaches a valuable lesson about the importance of the tragic vision in helping sociologists to understand the limitations …

Alvin W. Gouldner And Industrial Sociology At Columbia University, James Chriss

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Publications

Alvin W Gouldner (1920-1980) was a prolific sociologist of the post-World War II era

who spent the early part of his career (the 1950s) in the field of industrial sociology. A

case study of Gouldner's early life and career is useful insofar as it intertwines with the

development of industrial sociology as a distinct subfield within sociology. Through this

analysis we are also better able to understand how and in what ways a burgeoning

organizational studies program developed at Columbia University during the 1940s. This

analysis of the historical and cultural contexts within which Gouldner came to prominence

as an …