1. TOWARD AMATEUR SOCIOLOGY: A PROPOSAL FOR THE PROFESSION.
- Author
-
Stebbins, Robert A.
- Subjects
- *
SOCIOLOGISTS , *SOCIAL scientists , *SOCIOLOGY , *PROFESSIONS , *OCCUPATIONS - Abstract
Other sciences among them history, archaeology mineralogy, ornithology astronomy and entomology, have profited greatly from their vigorous amateur wings, which have existed along side of and sometimes preexisted the now dominant profession. The greatest single contribution of amateur science societies to their associated professions is the collection and dissemination of descriptive data. Intensive research on two of these amateur sciences and examination of the descriptive-historical literature of all six suggest that we ought to think seriously about promoting an amateur sociology. After a description of avocational science in general, a proposal for an amateur sociology is presented using the avocational developments in the other sciences as a model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1978