A SOCIAL SCIENCE FIELD LABORATORY.

Sociologists B. W. Aginsky and E. G. Aginsky established the Social Sciences Field Laboratory in 1939 under the auspices of New York University, New York City, New York. The Laboratory was located in a northern California community. The Laboratory has three general aims. The first is to make a long-term study of a culture from the points of view of all of the social sciences. This involves the historical reconstruction of the past and an historical study of the future, that is, a careful analysis of culture change and culture integration as these are taking place. It will include all aspects of the area under study from the standpoint of the various disciplines, such as sociology, social work, psychology, psychiatry, anthropology, economics, law, medicine, political science, and history. The second aim is to provide supervised training in fieldwork and research at the predoctoral level, and facilities for professional social scientists. Third, the Laboratory aims to test established techniques, methods, theories, and conclusions, with the possibility of refining and developing them, and arriving at new ones.