The Social Role of the Man of Knowledge

Download or read book The Social Role of the Man of Knowledge written by Florian Znaniecki and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-02-13 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this seminal contribution to the sociology of knowledge, first published in 1940, Florian Znaniecki develops a typology of the variety of specific social roles that scholars have played, and investigates the normative patterns that govern their behavior. A central tool for the investigation of these problems is the notion of “social circle”, the audience to which intellectuals address themselves. Znaniecki shows that thinkers do not speak to the total society but address selected segments and markets. Specific social circles bestow recognition, provide material or psychic support, and help shape the self-image of the thinker.