The writings of Harriet Martineau and W.E.B. Du Bois—generally known as the first woman and black founders of sociology—bookend this rich collection of pioneering works that created "the science of society." The sixteen writings in this anthology originally appeared in articles and books published from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. They are, therefore, primary source documents that allow modern readers to see how the authors introduced their paradigm-changing concepts that shattered earlier perceptions of society—concepts such as "culture lag," "collective bargaining," "human ecology," "iron law of oligarchy," and "class conflict," which still largely influence the way twenty-first century social scientists think about and study human relationships, institutions, societies, and cultures. Along with the writings of Martineau and Du Bois, this volume features original works by other major founders of sociology, including Beatrice Webb, Vilfredo Pareto, Jane Addams, Robert Michels, William F. Ogburn, Robert E. Park, Friedrich Engels, Henry Sumner Maine, Walter Bagehot, Ludwig Gumplowicz, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Albion Small, Gustav Ratzenhofer, Ernest Burgess, and Franz Oppenheimer. The groundbreaking writings in this anthology, which is a companion volume to Seminal Sociological Writings: From Auguste Comte to Max Weber (2010), can serve as either a primary or ancillary text in courses on the history of sociology and sociological theory. It will also enlighten all individuals interested in the birth and development of the social sciences.
