Preface to The Human Perspective in Sociology: The Methodology of Participant Observation

Abstract

William Foote Whyte wrote this Preface for a new edition of my book The Human Perspective in Sociology: The Methodology of Participant Observation that was never published. Whyte died in July 2000, after he had written the Preface, but it was never published. I had signed a contract with a publisher but there were financial problems that led suddenly and unexpectedly to the demise of the company.

Bill was concerned about the growing emphasis on computer skills and the quantification of data. He saw the trend challenging the integrity, methodology, and basic purpose of the profession. He called for a new emphasis on qualitative studies and participant observation. In his long career he taught and practiced fieldwork so admirably, so perfectly, that he was a model for other sociologists. Indeed, he was my inspiration.