Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/671



The methodology of sociology has so often been set forth in formal volumes and in elaborated articles, that nothing more on this subject for the present needs to be said. But, given these formal discussions, there still may be occasion for statements in respect to methods of application, so as to show how in actual teaching the content of sociology may be built up in quantity and quality. The writer in attempting such an exposition disclaims any desire to depict a model procedure, and, admitting that one's "personal equation" always includes a fraction of error, he craves pardon for his sins of omission and commission and for the intrusion of personal methods, pleading in extenuation orders from the honorable President of this association.

Under the name of social science sociology has been taught at Brown University for nearly twenty years. In 1906 the growing importance of the subject resulted in the establishment within the department of a chair of sociology and this has been ably filled since that date by Dr. Lester F. Ward. Professor Ward now has charge of the advanced classes in sociology, using his own methods and system, so that the following remarks apply only to courses formerly or at present given by other members of the department.

In social studies proper we have about three hundred students a year, receiving them into our classes from the beginning of the sophomore year. In these courses the practical problem of teaching a difficult subject to large classes with the utmost economy of expense and energy has compelled us to limit ourselves in the main to the presentation of the fundamental aspects of sociology, and hence we were under the necessity of deciding what these fundamentals are.

In the early years of the department it seemed rather necessary occasionally to dogmatize, arguing that there really was