Early Sociological Investigations of the American Dream

Abstract

Within the USA, sociology emerged as a new science for the study of man and society in the late nineteenth century. Its earliest progenitors examined how Americans lived, with special attention to the burgeoning urban environments that marked the era. W.E.B. Du Bois’ study of the Philadelphia Negro, Jane Addams’ investigations of urban Chicago around her settlement house, and Thomas and Znaniecki’s examination of Polish immigrant families here and in their native land, revealed the convergent forces that influenced the ways in which Americans lived then. Their investigations explored narrative themes that continue to inspire the manner in which Americans conceptualize and pursue their lives even today.