Theodor Geiger

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Theodor Geiger
Born (1891-11-09) 9 November 1891 (age 132)
University of Århus

Theodor Julius Geiger (9 November 1891 in

University of Århus
(1938–1940).

Life

Geiger grew up in

University of Munich from 1910 to 1912, then from 1912 to 1914 at the University of Würzburg, where he received his doctorate in law.[1]

In 1914 Geiger voluntarily joined the army; he served until 1918 and was wounded. Simultaneously he wrote a dissertation on the supervision of criminals, Die Schutzaufsicht, supported by Friedrich Oetker. In 1918 he became a

Doctor of Laws
.

In 1920 Geiger joined the

Volkshochschule (adult education
centre) where he had begun to work as a teacher.

Geiger taught at Volkshochschule during a time when the institution was largely for the basic academic and cultural education of working class adults. Here he used the opportunity to focus on the social and political consequences of adult education by promoting critical thinking and intellectualism in his students.[1] He eventually became principal but left in 1928 to take up the chair of Sociology at Brunswick Institute of Technology.[2]

Geiger had originally joined the

Braunschweig University of Technology (Brunswick) in 1924, progressing from being a visiting lecturer, to an associate professor, and finally becoming a full professor of sociology in 1929; this was the first professorship of the department for cultural studies. Geiger's work is still kept at the "Theodor Geiger Archive" at the university. He worked there until 1933, when, due to his anti-Nazi beliefs, he had to emigrate to Denmark;[3] here he lived until 1943, even obtaining Danish citizenship. In 1939, he wrote Sociologi, which was for several decades an important textbook.[where?][2]

In Denmark Geiger began by gaining a scholarship from the

Lund. When the war ended in 1945, Geiger immediately returned to Århus, taking up his position as professor of sociology once more. His first step was to found the university institute for research into societies, the first institute of its kind in Scandinavia.[citation needed
]

From 1948 to 1952, Geiger published the series Nordiske Studier i Sociologie (Nordic Studies on Sociology) with

Torgny Torgnysson Segerstedt, Veli Verkko and Johan Vogt. In 1949 he was a co-founder of the International Sociological Association.[citation needed
]

On 16 June 1952, Geiger died on the return trip from Canada to Denmark on board the ship Waterman.[citation needed]

Work

Geiger is considered the founder of the concept of

Edward Ross) for the analysis of social structures.[2]

According to this view, society is divided into an indefinite number of social levels or groups, defined according to attributes such as profession, education, upbringing, living standard, power, dress, religion, race, political opinion and organisation. This idea is closely connected to that of social mobility and the criteria for an industrial society.

At least in Germany, he is also seen as an important contributor to the sociology of law, by publishing, in 1947, his "Vorstudien zu einer Soziologie des Rechts" (preliminary studies for a sociology of law).[3]

Geiger also worked on the fundamental concepts of sociology, working class education, industrial organisation, class structure, mobility, the origin and functions of the intelligentsia, critics of ideology, and the nature of modern mass-society and democracy.[3] He also spent time studying the nature of revolutionary crowds.[4]

Geiger analysed the

corporativism.[5]

Geiger published more than 160 works, but only a few have been translated to English thus far.[6] The Danish body of Geiger's work has been translated (commented version) to German by Gert J. Fode of the University of Aarhus, edited by Prof. Klaus Rodax (University of Erfurt, Germany).[7]

Methodology

Geiger made many significant contributions to methodology of the social sciences.[3]

Seeing no necessary difference between the laws and methods of the

idiographic approach.[1] Further, sociology should not study isolated instances, but rather patterns.[1] This requires iterating between the general and the specific,[1] by alternatively adopting catascopic and anascopic approaches.[8]

Geiger stressed the importance of supporting

empirical data but also the importance of theory in the analysis of empirical evidence.[1] He believed that concepts are not to be derived from observation and experience alone but must be supported by them.[1]

The professor in

qualitative data and interpretation, Geiger argued that these were okay for analysis as long as the researcher maintained a value-free approach.[3]

Geiger published several articles in 1948 and 1949 about his theoretical considerations of methodology.[2]

Thought

Social Stratification and Mobility

political power as new factors for stratification.[3] Geiger developed a complex model and typology of social stratification, which was published in Wörterbuch der Soziologie (1955).[2] In many ways, Geiger defended Marxism but he also agreed with arguments that many predictions made by Marxist class theory were not carried out.[1]

In 1932, Geiger wrote an analysis of the classes in Germany.

ideologies like Nazism because it has a defensive and vulnerable position due to its lack of secure class identity.[1] He elaborated on these ideas about the middle class in Klassesamfundeti Stobegryden (Class Society in the Melting Pot), after World War II.[1] In London, Geiger and David Glass formed a subcommittee on social stratification and mobility and together they started a comparative study of international mobility and stratification.[3]

In 1949, Geiger did an empirical study of social stratification in Aarhus.

upward mobility.[3]

Ideology and Value-free thought

Ideology to Geiger is "a concept in the theory of knowledge," or "the atheoretical taken theoretically."

methodological basis, was: "That to claim objective truth from a creation of the imagination is an ideology and is invalid".[1] Geiger was very concerned with Value Freedom, or the difference between value and fact, and the belief that Science cannot be valid when making Value-judgements.[1] A Value-judgement is an ideological statement because it disguises a value as a statement of fact, claiming to be valid and objective.[1] Geiger was led to these beliefs by the Uppsala school and Hägerstrom.[2]

Geiger's Value

structural-functionalism.[1] Value nihilism allows for value-judgements but does not allow them to become theories.[2]

In his last work, ""Demokratie ohne Dogma"" published after his death in 1960, Geiger calls for "intellectual humanism", "enlightenment of the masses," "democratization of reason," "asceticism of emotion," and "abstinence from value judgement."[2] He considered this last work to be his greatest political contribution.[2]

Intelligentsia

Theodor Geiger's definition of

proletarian, and democratic.[1]

After giving lectures in Sweden at Uppsala school on Intelligentsia in 1943,[1] Geiger wrote about their position in society, their functions and their origin in 1944.[3] This work was published in 1949.[3] Shortly after, he returned to Denmark, where he conducted an empirical study on the origins and structure of Danish Intelligentsia, based on the Danish Biographical Encyclopedia, enabling him to study the group over a four hundred year span.[3]

Publications

  • 1919 Die Schutzaufsicht. Breslau (then Germany): Schletter.
  • 1920 Das uneheliche Kind und seine Mutter im Recht des neuen Staates: Ein Versuch auf der Basis kritischer Rechtsvergleichung. Munich: Schweitzer.
  • 1926 Die Masse und ihre Aktion: Ein Beitrag zur Soziologie der Revolutionen. Stuttgart (Germany): Enke.
  • 1927 "Die Gruppe und die Kategorien Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft." Archiv für Sozialwissenschaft und Sozialpolitik 58:338–374.
  • 1928 Die Gestalten der Gesellung. Karlsruhe (Germany): Braun.
  • (1931a) 1959 "Führung." Pages 136-141 in Handwörterbuch der Soziologie. New ed. Stuttgart (Germany):Enke.
  • (1931b) 1959 "Gemeinschaft." Pages 173-180 in Handwörterbuch der Soziologie. New ed. Stuttgart (Ger many): Enke.
  • (1931c) 1959 "Gesellschaft." Pages 201-211 in Handwörterbuch der Soziologie. New ed. Stuttgart (Germany):Enke.
  • (1931d) 1959 "Revolution." Pages 511-518 in Handwörterbuch der Soziologie. New ed. Stuttgart (Germany):Enke.
  • (1931e) 1959 "Soziologie." Pages 568-578 in Handwörterbuch der Soziologie. New ed. Stuttgart (Germany):Enke.
  • 1932 Die soziale Schichtung des deutschen Volkes: Soziographischer Versuch auf statistischer Grundlage. Stuttgart (Germany): Enke.
  • 1933a "Soziale Gliederung der deutschen Arbeitnehmer." Archiv für Sozialwissenschaft und Sozialpolitik 68:151–188.
  • 1933b "Statistische Analyse der wirtschaftlich Selbständigen." Archiv für Sozialwissenschaft und Sozialpolitik 69:407–439.
  • 1934 Erbpflege: Grundlagen, Planung, Grenzen. Stuttgart (Germany): Enke.
  • 1935 Samfund og arvelighed: En sociologisk unders0gelse. Copenhagen: Martin.
  • 1939 Sociologi: Grundrids og hovedproblemer. Copenhagen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag.
  • 1941 "Konkurrence: En sociologisk analyse." Aarhus, Universitet, Acta jutlandica, Aarsskrift, Vol. 13, no. 2. Aarhus (Denmark): Universitets Forlaget.
  • 1943 Kritik af reklamen. Copenhagen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag.
  • (1944) 1949 Aufgaben und Stellung der Intelligenz in der Gesellschaft. Stuttgart (Germany): Enke. → First published as Intelligensen.
  • 1946a Debat med Uppsala om moral og ret. Copenhagen: Munksgaard.
  • 1946b Ranulf contra Geiger: Et angreb og et offensivt forsvar. Copenhagen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag.
  • (1947) 1964 Vorstudien zu einer Soziologie des Rechts. Aarhus, Universitet, Acta jutlandica, Aarsskrift, Vol. 19, no. 1. Neuwied (Germany): Luchterhand.
  • (1948) 1949 Die Klassengesellschaft in Schmelztiegel. Cologne (Germany): Kiepenheuer. →First published in Danish.
  • 1949 Den Danske intelligens fra reformationen til nuti-den: En studie i empirisk kultursociologi. Aarhus, Universitet, Acta jutlandica, Aarsskrift, Vol. 21, no. 1. Aarhus (Denmark): Universitets Forlaget.
  • 1951α "Die Legende von der Massengesellschaft." Archiv für Rechts- und Sozialphilosophie 39:305–323.
  • 1951b Soziale Umschichtungen in einer dänischen Mittelstadt. Aarhus, Universitet, Acta jutlandica, Aarsskrift, Vol. 23, no. 1. Aarhus (Denmark): Universitets For laget.
  • 1952 Fortidens moral og fremtidens. Copenhagen: Reitzel.
  • 1953 Ideologie und Wahrheit: Eine soziologische Kritik des Denkens. Stuttgart (Germany) and Vienna: Humboldt. → Published posthumously.
  • 1954α "Intelligenz." Volume 5, pages 302-304 in Handwörterbuch der Sozialwissenschaften. Stuttgart (Germany): Fischer. → Published posthumously.
  • 1954b "Ideologie." Volume 5, pages 179-184 in Handwörterbuch der Sozialwissenschaften. Stuttgart (Germany): Fischer. → Published posthumously.
  • (1955) 1962 "Theorie der sozialen Schichtung." Pages 186–205 in Theodor Geiger, Arbeiten zur Soziologie: Methode, moderne Grossgesellschaft, Rechtssoziologie, ldeologiekritik. Neuwied (Germany): Luchterhand. → Published posthumously. Originally appeared in the Wörterbuch der Soziologie, edited by W. Bernsdorf and F. Bülow.
  • (1960) 1963 Demokratie ohne Dogma: Die Gesellschaft zwischen Pathos und Nüchternheit. Munich: Szczesny. → First published posthumously as Die Gesellschaft zwischen Pathos und Nüchternheit.
  • Arbeiten zur Soziologie: Methode, moderne Grossgesellschaft, Rechtssoziologie, Ideologiekritik. Neuwied (Germany): Luchterhand, 1962.

[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao Mayntz, Renate. 1969. The Heritage of Sociology, Theodor Geiger on Social Order and Mass Society. Chicago, Ill: The University of Chicago Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Trappe, Paul. 1968. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Vol#6, Geiger, Theodor. p. 83-85. The Macmillan Company & the Free Press.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Agersnap, Torben. 2000. "Theodor Geiger: Pioneer of Sociology in Denmark." Acta Sociologica #43. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  4. ^ Crowds and Pathos: Theodor Geiger on Revolutionary Action - Borch 49 (1): 5 - Acta Sociologica
  5. ^ Institutions of social partnership - legality and legitimacy by Monika Čambáliková in Human Affairs (1996), 6(1):9-18
  6. ^ Hughes, John. 2001. "Geiger's Sociology." Growth and Change Book Reviews. Retrieved November 4, 2011
  7. ^ "Curriculum vitae (English): Fode, Gert Josef (Joe)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  8. ISSN 0141-9870
    .

External links
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