Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/217

 THE SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY 203

reference to its bearings upon some conception of these goods, either severally or collectively. We have no other real measure to be applied in a theory of conduct values.

Starting with such assumptions the sociologist proposes to get, if possible, more intimate and coherent knowledge of human associations in detail and in whole. No competent sociologist fails to see that the way to this knowledge must be through accumulation of a mass of descriptive analysis. We have as yet very few respectable samples of the necessary description. We have called this essential preliminary work descriptive sociology Perhaps the name sociography would be preferable. The term would at least imply the truth that the relation of the work which it designates to sociology, as we are employing the latter title, is closely analogous with the relation of ethnography to ethnology. The demands which this descriptive sociology, or sociography, must satisfy will appear more specifically as our argument develops.

ALBION W. SMALL. THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

[To be continued.]