Biology and American Sociology, Part II: Developing a Unique Evolutionary Sociology

Abstract

In sociology's formative period between 1830 and 1930, evolutionary analysis organized much theorizing and research. This line of work ended abruptly in the 1920s but, over the last decades, has come back into the discipline somewhat piecemeal with the reintroduction of more sophisticated stage models of societal evolution, functional analysis, human ecological analysis, and other new lines of evolutionary inquiry outlined in this paper. Our goal is to demonstrate that revitalized paradigms of the past can still be useful with modest reconceptualization, while at the same time new intellectual movements in the other social sciences, especially economics and psychology, incorporating evolutionary ideas from biology provide sociology with an opportunity to develop its own approach to evolutionary analysis that avoids the problems that let to the demise of this line of inquiry in the 1920s, as well as the problems of other social sciences applying their more narrowly focus models to sociological problems. Indeed, sociology can become a leader in the social sciences in developing more sophisticated theoretical and methodological approaches to incorporating biology and evolutionary analysis into the social sciences. When presented in a new, more sophisticated guise, old approaches like functionalism, stage models of societal evolution, and ecological models can be seen as still having a great deal of explanatory power, while revealing a progressive and future orientation that should appeal to all contemporary sociologists. It is time, then, for sociology to remember its past in order to move into the future.

“Quiet is the New Loud”: The Biosociology Debate’s Absent Voices

“…Proponents of biosociology worry that the lack of recognition of biological factors in the sociological community will bring about misleading explanations, and stress that sociologists have a professional obligation to pursue the best possible understanding of societies (Adkins & Vaisey, 2009 ; Barkow, 2005 ; Bell & Kandler, 2017 ; Braudt, 2018 ; Freese et al, 2003 ; Hopcroft, 2016 ; Kowal & Petersen, 2015 ; Liu, 2018 ; Lopreato & Crippen, 2018 ; Machalek & Martin, 2004 ; McEwen & McEwen, 2017 ; McLaughlin, 2012 ; Runciman, 2008 ; Sanderson, 2008 ; Schutt & Turner, 2019 ; Turner et al, 2020 ; Wedow et al, 2018 ). Accounting for relevant biological factors is perceived as a prerequisite to pursue these goals.…”

“…It is worth noting that many scholars are making considerable efforts to enlighten their peers about the relevance of biological knowledge (Braudt, 2018 ; Schutt & Turner, 2019 ; Turner et al, 2020 ). This may indicate that they at least partly consider the lack of engagement in biosociology as an Act of Omission depending on resource availability.…”

“…Over the last decades, biological knowledge has increasingly been applied in different types of scientific investigations (Kowal & Petersen, 2015 ). Several scholars have emphasized the relevance of biological knowledge for the social sciences, and some have called for greater awareness among sociologists in particular (Barkow, 2005 ; Braudt, 2018 ; Freese et al, 2003 ; Lopreato & Crippen, 2018 ; McLaughlin, 2012 ; Sanderson, 2008 ; Schutt & Turner, 2019 ; Turner et al, 2020 ). The sociological community has been ambivalent to this invitation, to put it gently.…”

“…The results were immediately subject to substantial scientific critique (Devlin et al, 2013 ; Gould, 1996 ), and again led to many sociologists distancing themselves from the biologically oriented traditions in the field (Marshall, 2018 , 49). Still, in later years a growing number of sociologists welcome a stronger impact of biology in the sociological discipline (Adkins & Vaisey, 2009 ; Barkow, 2005 ; Bell & Kandler, 2017 ; Braudt, 2018 ; Freese et al, 2003 ; Hannigan, 2014 ; Hopcroft, 2016 ; Kowal & Petersen, 2015 ; Ladd, 2003 ; Liu, 2018 ; Machalek & Martin, 2004 ; McEwen & McEwen, 2017 ; McLaughlin, 2012 ; Runciman, 2008 ; Schutt & Turner, 2019 ; Turner et al, 2020 ; Wedow et al, 2018 ). They argue that accounting for biological factors is required to correct bias in sociological inquiries (Braudt, 2018 ; Liu, 2018 ) and provide a more adequate understanding of research objects (Bell & Kandler, 2017 ), as well as improving the quality (Hopcroft, 2016 ), realizing the potential (McLaughlin, 2012 ; Schutt & Turner, 2019 ), and maintaining the respectability (Ellis, 1996 ) of the sociological discipline, and to develop a better understanding of how human action influences the environment and thereby the climate (Hannigan, 2014 ; Ladd, 2003 ).…”

Species structure of small game hunting in the Kirov region at the beginning of the XXI century

“…Для выявления количества добываемой дичи по видам, сезонам и за год проведен анкетный и устный доверительный опрос 2 [4,5,6,7].…”