Biography George C. Homans

1 biography

1.1 ancestry
1.2 personal life
1.3 education , becoming sociologist
1.4 teaching

biography
ancestry

george c. homans born in boston on august 11, 1910, son of robert , abigail (adams) homans, great-great grandson of john quincy adams, sixth president of united states, , great-great-great grandson of john adams, second president of united states. @ george s birth, mother wrote uncle henry: head mass of lumps make him distinguished when, bald old gentleman, sits upon bench dispensing justice. through letter explains how homans received name: named george caspar brother, homans family did not consider sort of person produce doctor, , reserved name [john] brother-in-law jack s benefit... (homans 1984:1). homanses came lineage of distinguished doctors began when first john homans came country ramsgate, kent, england in 18th century. son, dr. john homans, graduated harvard, first become doctor , begin reputation of john homanses (homans 1984:1-2). however, george s father lawyer, george first member of family eschew law .

personal life

from autobiography (homans 1984), learned homans entered harvard college in 1928 area of concentration in english , american literature. after graduating in 1932, homans wanted pursue career newspaperman job beginning in fall william allen white of emporia, kansas,gazette, because of depression newspaper no longer offer him job, leaving homans unemployed (homans 1962:3). in 1941, married nancy cooper remained lifelong compatible partner . homans served in naval reserve during world war ii; 4 years , half on active duty, more 2 spent in command of small ships engaged in antisubmarine warfare , escort of convoy operations (homans 1962:50). although served duration of war, later expressed in autobiography impatience constraints of naval hierarchy , disdain staff desk officers, in bureaucratic branches such supply corps .

education , becoming sociologist

while homans @ harvard college, perhaps direct influence on george undergraduate english tutor bernard ( benny ) de voto . george ... attracted de voto s stories plains , prairies, more, actuality of lives of people , american character expressed in midwestern writing. in many ways, too, george adopted mannerisms of de voto, outwardly boisterous tones (but not either boosterist mentality) , scorn of intellectualist rhetoric seen in book of poetry witch hazel (1988). living in environment people highly conscious of social relations, homans became interested in sociology. homans describes entrance sociology matter of chance; or rather, got sociology because had nothing better (homans 1962:3). important influence on homans s perspective lawrence joseph henderson, biochemist , sociologist believed sciences should based on unified set of theoretical , methodological principles. homans, no job , nothing do, attended henderson s seminar @ harvard 1 day , taken lecture. result, homans joined discussion group @ harvard called pareto circle, led henderson , inspired work of vilfredo pareto. henderson discussed vilfredo pareto in lectures. pareto sociologist concerned economic distribution. pareto s theories , henderson s lectures influenced homans s first book, introduction pareto, co-authored fellow circle member charles p. curtis. 1934 1939 homans junior fellow of newly formed society of fellows @ harvard, undertaking variety of studies in various areas, including sociology, psychology, , history. junior fellowship project homans undertook anthropological study of rural england, later published english villagers of thirteenth century (1941) (see homans 1984: 167). homans taken graduate program @ harvard; pitirim sorokin, founded harvard s sociology department in 1930, credited bringing homans , robert merton program.

teaching

in 1939 homans became harvard faculty member, lifelong affiliation in taught both sociology , medieval history studied poetry , small groups. teaching brought him in contact new works in industrial sociology , exposed him works of functional anthropologists. instructor of sociology until 1941 when left serve u.s. navy support war effort. after 4 years away, came boston , continued teaching associate professor 1946 1953, , full professor of sociology after 1953. visiting professor @ university of manchester in 1953, @ cambridge university 1955 1956, , @ university of kent in 1967. virtue of theoretical writings (discussed below), elected 54th president of american sociological association in 1964. retired teaching in 1980.

he died of heart ailment on may 29, 1989, in cambridge, massachusetts; @ death, left behind wife, nancy, , 3 children 4 grandchildren.