Everett C. Hughes (1897–1983), a minister's son from Ohio, was a major figure in the social sciences. He contributed to the Chicago School of Sociology and influenced many graduate students. He also taught at McGill and Brandeis Universities and Boston College. He never wrote a systematic, general sociology or sociological theory text, but his work was insightful and contained pearls of wisdom about social relations. He was more of a fox than a hedgehog. An early essay on “Good People and Dirty Work” had an impact.
Men and Their Work
was also significant. He is best known for his influence on the sociology of medicine and of race. He influenced Erving Goffman's approach to research and style of writing.