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This paper constitutes a plea for the historical approach to economics, and in the support of this plea it seeks to point out the manner in which the study of economics is dependent upon data drawn from the other social sciences and to show in turn how the practice of economics, or economy, modifies those social sciences. The paper will deal with the relations between economy, economics, and economic history, the interdependence of economics and politics, the economic interpretation of history, and the stages through which economic society has passed in arriving at its present form of organization.

This paper emphasizes the importance of training foreign students in a manner that will enable them to effectively carry on their professional duties in their home countries. Changes needed in graduate school programs to more effectively train foreign students are described. The five major changes suggested are: (1) Give more consideration to language facility and living conditions so that they will support rather than detract from the students' training program; (2) use more intercultural data in classroom presentations; (3) get the students off the campus for more systematic observation of and contact with American family and community life; (4) experiment with doing more of the training work in the field; (5) provide more training opportunities in the application of social science to problem-solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychologists indicate that a feeling of inadequacy may be so completely sublimated that the affected individual is unaware of its presence. This type of reaction is apparently not uncommon among individuals. The clearest available evidence in support of the conclusion that sociologists possess sublimated inadequacy feelings is found in an interesting and salient projective-type test: the manner in which the introductory course in sociology is taught throughout the country. If it is assumed that the opening chapters of introductory texts influence professorial coverage in the classroom and if it is assumed that the basic course is usually populated by first year students, it becomes evident that sociologists are in the process of defending their raison d'etre before freshman students. The data suggests that sociology stands out in its lengthy attempt to defend its place in the world of science. Psychologists and economists come closest to the sociological pattern with almost one-half of the examined texts in each of these disciplines following the same pattern.

The article focuses on social sciences in Southern college and universities. The Fourth Annual Conference on Teaching and Research in the Social Sciences in the South which convened at Vanderbilt University, April 30 and May 1928, was thoroughly representative of the South and southern educational institutions. Its members hailed from 14 Southern states including Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas and from 31 or more educational institutions which included all but two of the state universities, besides many of the private institutions. There happened to be present also representatives from two institutions outside the southern field, namely the University of Oregon and Harvard University. The story of the experiments with the Orientation Course that have been and are being made at southern educational institutions constitutes an interesting and instructive chapter in the history of education. These courses admittedly make no systematic effort at introduction to the social sciences though problems selected involve use of material from all fields and enable instructors to give students some idea of the nature of these disciplines.

The article focuses on a course in Contemporary Civilization at the Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois. The course in Contemporary Civilization is in its twenty-sixth year and has been completely revised at least half a dozen times. In 1929, the course was expanded to a two-year program required of both freshmen and sophomores. Because, in 1937, a general Humanities course was also introduced, the time allotment for the Contemporary Civilization course was reduced somewhat. The Contemporary Civilization course starts with the breakup of the Middle Ages and begins with an analysis along three lines of enquiry which are pursued through out. The course is staffed from the College Faculty and from the Dean's Office; from time to time, however, members from the Graduate Faculties are brought in so that fresh evaluations of content and method may be acquired. The Contemporary Civilization course acts as an admirable introduction to advanced study for those who mean to go ahead as majors in one or another of the social science fields.

A recent study of curricular innovation in the Ohio Valley by the author and Anne Diemer indicates that some departments are dealing imaginatively with their educational problems. This article describes examples of curricular innovation and suggests ways the Association can stimulate educational planning, innovation and evaluative research. A few colleges have developed distinctive approaches to the teaching of introductory sociology. Better articulation of undergraduate and graduate studies can help students discover as undergraduates whether or not they have the interests and capacities for achievement in social research. If the profession is to develop its educational resources and programs, it needs its own development program. This study indicates that departments are ready for a program of this kind. They have indicated an interest in working together to deal with common problems of recruitment and training. Small departments are particularly concerned about staff recruitment. Collaborative training and research projects might be organized by graduate departments.

This article presents the report of the Delegate of the American Sociological Association to the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). ACLS is a private non-profit federation of thirty national scholarly organizations concerned with the humanities and the humanistic aspects of the social sciences. As the Delegate has previously reported, one of the critical issues for our Association lies in the nature of the re]ationship between the social sciences and the humanities and he is now pleased to report that tentative plans have been made for this to be the theme for the next annual meeting of the ACLS. These meetings are typically held during late January, and steps will be taken to inform the membership as to the place and date of this important session. ACLS is cooperating with the SSRC, typically via joint committees, on Latin American Studies, Asian Studies, Slavic and East European Studies, and a new program of grants for research on Contemporary China and on Africa South of the Sahara.