The Concept of Cultural Lag Re-Examined
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5619656 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Choukas (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1936 |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 752 |
| Publication date | 1936-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Sociological Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-1224 • E-ISSN: 1939-8271 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/2084134 |
| OpenAlex | W2331407700 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
PROFESSOR OGBURN in a happy moment of inspiration conceived the idea of denoting the slowness of change that at times characterizes certain parts of human culture by the almost colloquial expression lag.' The attention of the students of society and culture was thus fixed as never before on the perennial question of social change, a phenomenon many felt, few understood, and no one dared say much about. The deep indebtedness that both the furtherance and clarification of human thought owe to linguistic symbols was shown once again. The expression, or concept (as it came to be known), was quickly picked up by the sociologists and incorporated into the pattern of the current sociological theory. So eager were they, in fact, in accepting it and so convincing did the concept appear that no compiler of an introductory textbook on sociology in recent years dared omit it from his index and no serious attempt was made to refute its validity. In scanning the sociological literature of the last few years one is impressed with this universal silent recognition,2 and also by the unwillingness of both the originator and other sociologists to secure a permanent place for the concept in the history of sociology by relating it basically to fundamental sociological principles. Whatever connection exists (as of course there must) between the concept and sociological theory is at present reflected indirectly in the qualifying phrases that precede or follow the expression lag. An explicit, orderly, systematic presentation has not as yet been made. This paper attempts it. And the writer suffers no delusion that its contents are final. He is only spurred on by the honest belief that his task is legitimate, and timely. To begin then, the concept of cultural lag is meaningless unless
Lag · Sociology · Computer Science · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,06 |
| Citation span | 1973 - 2010 (38) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |