Parsons Calls Sorokin Controversy On Book Similarities 'Oversight'

Talcott Parsons yesterday greeted the recent report of Pitirim A. Sorokin on Parson's book with ambivalent, affective reaction. Parsons, professor of Sociology, is chairman of the department of Social Relations and Sorokin is director of the Research Center in Altruistic Integration and Creativity.

In a statement to the CRIMSON yesterday, Parsons pointed out that there was a great deal of discussion in the field of Sociology concerning the three principles of the conceptual framework; personality, culture and society.

Only an Oversight

Sorokin's contributions to this framework are part of a large body of discussion on the subject by numerous sociologists, Parsons said, and the fact that Sorokin was not credited in the book was merely a "regrettable oversight."

Sorokin, in a letter to the CRIMSON, was very eager to correct any impressions that he was angry at Parsons for not giving him due credit for the theory he first outlined 30 years ago. "On the contrary," he wrote, "I expressed deep satisfaction that seemingly two divergent systems of sociology are, after publications of these volumes, considerably more similar to each other than would appear to an outsider.

"... the convergence of two supposedly different viewpoints (that of Parsons and that of Sorokin) is a very good omen for emergence and development of Harvard School in Sociology," Sorokin said.