Franklin Henry Giddings

Franklin Henry Giddings 1855-1931, American sociologist, b. Fairfield co., Conn., grad. Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. In 1894 he became professor of sociology at Columbia, where he earned a reputation as a brilliant teacher. His explanation of social phenomena was based on the principle of "consciousness of kind" —his theory that each person has an innate sense of belonging to particular social groups. Giddings encouraged statistical studies in sociology. His most important works are The Principles of Sociology (1896), Studies in the Theory of Human Society (1922), and The Scientific Study of Human Society (1924).

Giddings, Franklin H. (1855–1931) An early American sociologist who applied the evolutionary ideas of Herbert Spencer in comparative and historical analyses. Although his texts now seem dated (see for example Principles of Sociology, 1896; Elements of Sociology, 1898; Studies in the Theory of Human Society, 1922; and The Scientific Study of Human Society, 1924), his work displays several characteristic traits of mainstream American sociology, including an emphasis on quantification and an interest in the theories of psychologists. His earlier work is characterized by psychological evolutionism; his later studies by an enthusiasm for quantification and behaviourism that provided an important stimulus to American neo-positivism