Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/658

 642 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

genesis of human experience from human interaction that we seek to learn.

Yet although each experience, when understood, presumably illustrates the method of innumerable experiences, some \\ill attract the sociologist far more than others, because they obvi- ously represent some specially important species of experiences, or illustrate the origin of traits that characterize a class or a popula- tion. These may not always be better guides to interpretation of the methods of association than acts which seem more individual and isolated. But their prevalence is itself a problem to be explained. One class of experiences that will especially draw the attention of sociologists are those which it is particularly impor- tant to control. For example, those related to crime, vice, pauperism) and education. The kinds of investigation which the most intelligent exhibition of the practical spirit require can be adopted as parts of the theoretical quest.

This section has carried the process of elimination farther and has begun the positive statement of the object of the sociologist's attention, which will be made more definite in the section to follow. The characteristic objects of attention for sociology are neither complex societies, organizations, groups, nor institutions, nor any other of the great, imposing, and established, but rela- tively stark and static, deposits of social activity. It is necessary to conceive the object of sociological study in such a way as to fix attention upon the comparatively minute and fluctuating phe- nomena that teem with causal efficiency. It is also exceedingly desirable to attain a few dominant concepts that will serve as the biologist is served by the differential stain, which picks out and colors each nerve fiber, too minute to be separated by the dissect- ing knife; great truths into which we can immerse our confused social observations, and have the parts that are essentially related, however scattered and minute, take on a color of their own, and stand out to view till we see them in their systematic unities ; and not that alone, but also see them pulsating with life.

EDWARD GARY HAYES.

MIAMI UNIVERSITY.

[To be continued}