Society

Preface: All of the more important articles and prefaces written by Robert E Park are now available in the series of volumes of which this is the third. Certain phrases that recur in the following pages, human conduct, moral order, social order, moral world, moral career, suggest a possible theme of the essays in this volume. If animal behavior is talked of it is to distinguish human moral conduct from it. If the quasi-biological, ecological processes are mentioned, it is as underpinning for the more distinctly social processes. The lively, even violent, forms of collective behavior-crowds, sects, revivals, strikes, booms, crazes, fads and fashions are in Park's system the elementary forms of social interaction. News, in its various forms, is part of the communication which allows social interaction on a larger scale; public opinion is both a product of such interaction and the basis for new collective actions. Society, in its various forms is the on-going, somewhat ordered interaction of men; men who have not merely instincts, but goals to be achieved self conceptions to be lived up to, status to be fought for. In the course of talking about society, Park commented on the work of many others who have written about the same subject. The reader will find reference to many authors not commonly cited in the sociology of today. Park had little reverence for established departmental lines. In fact, he comments on the number of important sociological works not written by sociologists; and in a paper in this volume. At the beginning of each chapter credit is given to its original publisher.