SOCIETY AND CULTURE.

By Prof. Francis E. Merrill '26 and Prof. H. WeʼntworthEldredge '31. New York: Prentice-Hall,1957- 592 PP. $6.75.

This is one of the better sociology textbooks. Its revision has enhanced its former value as an introduction to the study of sociology, defined as "the science of human group relationships."

The change in title from "Culture and Society" to "Society and Culture" is significant. It indicates a revision of the conceptual scheme of the book. It means that the basic approach to the study of sociology is the concept of society, the essence of which is social interaction. The second major concept is that of culture, which is the learned behavior that issues from social interaction. Personality, which may be considered the subjective aspect of culture in a sense, is the third major concept. Other basic concepts are social structure, social institutions, and social change. All these concepts are "derived from, and based upon, social interaction, which is the unifying theme of the book."

A second significant feature of the revision is the fact that it has incorporated a great deal of the results of empirical research studies made in recent years. Many chapters have been enlarged as a result. It should be noted, too, that new chapters dealing with small group interaction, social mobility, and voluntary associations appear in the new edition.

The book is divided into five general sections. The first section deals with the general nature of society and the formation of groups brought about by social interaction. Group expectations are shown to be significant in the determination of activities of everyone in a given society. In the second section the relationships between society, culture, and the individual are explained. Personality, in a sociological sense, is shown to be largely the product of these relationships. The constituent elements of the structure of society are described in the third part under chapter headings of population, race, caste, and class. Social stratification in our society, and its dynamic aspect, social mobility, are shown to be social products, born of social interaction and, therefore, modifiable in the same way. Part four considers institutions and the community. The various social institutions as family, church, school, and government are all related to recurrent needs of the group and perform particular functions in satisfying human wants. A discussion of the forms and functions of the modern city and of human ecology, the spatial setting of groups and institutions, concludes this section of the book. The final section deals with collective behavior and social change. Crowds, publics, mobs and social movements are typical aspects of collective behavior, which is shown to be closely related to the phenomenon of social change. It is stated that "the intelligent direction of social change is the ultimate goal of social planning."

The intention of the authors has been to "offer this work as a modest contribution to an understanding of the dynamic world in which we live." As an excellent textbook, it does make a real contribution in this respect. Anyone desirous of brushing up on his knowledge of modern sociology will find this book readable, interesting, and authoritative.