PAGE TWO
International Understandin
Sociology's Role
In World Affairs
By DR. MARGARET B. MATSON
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Fourth of a Series
Imagine for yourself a situation in which you are assigned to
another country as a government employee, teacher, or business
executive. What basic things would you need to know in order to
“understand” the people of this country? Granted that you cannot
quickly (or perhaps ever) acquire a perfect knowledge of a way of
life which is different from your own, you can certainly achieve
•t least a partial understanding by applying a sociologist’s view
point. Essentially, this means analyzing the culture of a nation in
terms of its values and belief systems, its institutions, and its pattern
of social relationships.
Knowing another culture involves an understanding of its
values and beliefs—what is considered right or wrong, good or
bad. praiseworthy or blameworthy.
In attempting to understand a nation’s social institutions, you
might choose to study the family first What is the system by which
marriages take place? Do parents choose mates for their children?
On what basis is choice made? What constitutes a desirable husband
or wife? How much authority does the husband have? What is the
role of the wife? Does the couple establish a home of its own or
live with the husband’s or wife’s relatives? To what extent are the
several generations inter depen
dent? What is the obligation of
parents to children? Of grown
children to parents? What meth
ods are used in the training of
children for their roles in society?
What is the average size of the
family? Is it changing? Why?
What is the relationship between
the family and other social insti
tutions such as religion?
In attempting to achieve some
degree of understanding of other
nations, the sociologist and the
anthropologist are seeking an
swers to a broad question: How
do the people of various nations
organize and interact as they go
about the business of establishing
and maintaining families, making
a living, exercising political pow
er through government, educat
ing oncoming generations, amd ob
serving religious practices?
In addition to a knowledge of
institutions and the ways in
«■»>“- »- «**■“
large segments of the population stand in relationship to one an
other—Hie social class patterning. To understand a society, it is
necessary to know the ways in which an individual can move
from on* social class lo another and the ease or difficulty with
which such a move can be made.
Another aspect of man's group life must be considered: social
change. All societies change, but the rate and direction of change
vary enormously. The forces which facilitate change and those which
retard change can be analyzed by the sociologist or anthropologist.
Such analysis is a vital necessity to specialists working in fields
such as race relations, health education, apiculture, and housing.
Technical changes proposed by foreigners (and you are the “for
eigner” in the situation we are disclosing) will not be accepted
until they can be shown to be desirable in terms of the values,
social systems, and institutional patterns of the country for which
they are planned.
What the professional sociologist or anthropologist brings to the
area of international understanding is—
1. A point of view—a way of asking questions and interpreting
answers that focuses on man's social organization and relationships
and on the systems within which men cooperate, compete, and con
flict with one another.
2. A body of knowledge about societies throughout the world
which is of great value in establishing perspective, comparing
societies one with another, and widening ihe horizons of the stu
dent of international understanding.
3. An emphasis on similarities, along with a recognition of dif
ferences, among societies, which makes the search for common de
nominators of social behavior an important part of the study of
society.
* CATHAUM
LAST TIMES TODAY
'Powerful** . . . N.Y. Jour. Amer
“YOUNG STRANGER’
BEGINS 2 p.m. SUNDAY
JKAX SIMMONS
PAUL DOUGLAS
“THIS COULD RE
THE NIGHT”
* NITTANY
TODAY FROM 1:30 p.m.
JAMES CAGNEY
“FIGHTING 63th”
HE'S BACK!
ALEC GUINNESS
JL WEEK OF MIRTH
•SUNDAY•
—DOORS OPEN 1 P.M.—
“THE MAN IN THE
WHITE SUIT”
—Ce»iBg—
“THE PJCOMOTW
"Lavender hill hob"
THE OAILY COLLEGIAN STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
•STARIITE DRIVE IN-
NEW SHOWTIME: 9 P.M. EDST
'The Bob Mathais Story"
808 MATHIAS & DIANE JERGENS
PlllS in Technicolor
7th rAVAI BY RANDOLPH SCOTT
#m WMVMLRI BARBRA HALE
SUN., MON. & TUES.
"ROCK BABY RKK IT"
Jonny Carroll & Kay Wheeler
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FUMING TEENAGE
/ ■- I-:',.—
Cole to Join
/
Northwestern
Journ Staff
Dr. L W. Cole, director of the
School of Journalism, has been
named dean of the Medill School
of Journalism at Northwestern
University.
Dr. Roscow Miller, president of
Northwestern, said Cole will as
sume his duties on Sept 1.
The Medill School of Journal
ism is the largest journalism
school in the country. It operates
on a 5-year plan, graduating stu
dents with a masters degree.
Arrived Last Year
Cole, 33, came to the University
last year from the University of
Illinois, where he was assistant
director of the school of journal
ism. He succeeded Franklin Ban
|ner, who headed the former De
partment of Journalism.
; Cold’ is a graduate of the Uni
versity of Illinois. He was a re
porter on the Champaign, Illinois,
News-Gazette before joining the
Illinois faculty.
Worked in Public Relations
Cole held a public relations
position during World War H,
and during the Korean War was
a public information specialist on
!the United Nations Command
Staff at Tokyo.
[ In an interview yesterday, Cole
’said that he regretted leaving the
[University, and was especially
appreciative of the cooperation
[the School of Journalism received
ifrom the administration.
At Northwestern, he will suc
ceed Kenneth E. Olson, who is
retiring because of ill health.
Atomic Program
To Be Viewed
Two groups of Latin American
scientists will visit the University
Monday and Tuesday to.observe
the University’s nuclear science
program.
They are in this country for the
Inter-American Symposium on
the Peaceful Applications of Nu
clear Energy, which is being held
this week at Brookhaven Na
tional Laboratory, New York City.
Two of the four groups, in this
country under the auspices of the
Atomic Energy Commission, elec
ted to. include the University on
their tour.
The group concerned with man
agement will arrive Sunday night
and observe the university’s nu
clear science program from 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Monday. The second
group, composed primarily of
physical scientists, will arrive
Monday night and follow a similar
schedule on Tuesday.
Dr. Eric A. Walker will be host
at luncheons for the groups at
noon Monday and Tuesday in the
dining rooms of the Hetzel Union
Building.
Clover Club Barbecue
The Clover Club will hold a
chicken barbecue at 6 p.m. Tues
day in Hort Woods.
Tickets are available at the
Agronomy office in Tyson Hall.
The price is 50 cents.
tonight only
STASHING
First Run This
Area
Alumni Association Opens
AmuialMembershipDrive
The Alumni Association’s annual drive to enroll gradu
ating seniors began this week and will continue until Com
mencement, according to Ross B. Lehman, assistant executive
secretary.
Special rates are offered to all seniors who enroll in the
association on or before June 8, the Commencement date.
The rates are $2 for the first year
or $7O for a lifetime member
ship. After commencement, the
regular rates of $3 and $75 will
apply.
Among the benefits of member
ship in the association are sub
scriptions to the Alumni News
magazine and the organization's
newspaper, the Penn Stater, and
participation in the University’s
two big alumni weekends each
year, class reunions and the Al
umni Institute each June.
To Aid Homecoming
Membership fees also aid in
the sponsorship of fall homecom
ings and organization of Penn
State Alumni District Clubs, of
which there are over 70 in the
United States and Puerto Rico.
The Alumni Fund, which has
raised more than $BOO,OOO for im
portant University projects, and
the Alumni Memorial Scholar
ship Program are also sponsored
and coordinated by the Alumni
Association. ‘
Plans are now complete for the
1957 Class Reunion, which is
scheduled for June 13 through 15
and approximately 1000 alumni
are expected to return to campus
for the event. Housing will be
provided in Simmons and Mc-
Elwain Halls, for a per person
charge of $2.50 a night for dou
ble rooms and $3 for single rooms.
Class Luncheon Planned
The All-Class Luncheon, the
weekend’s only event which as-1
sembles members of all classes,!
will be served by the University
Food Service at 12:30 pun. June
15 in Recreation Hall.
The Alumni Institute will open
at-10:30 June 14 with a panel dis
cussion by a group of faculty ex
perts on the topic: “1984: Utopia
or Chaos?” This will be followed
by two series of six lectures each,
dealing with timely subjects in a
variety of fields.
Other highlights of the reunion
weekend include the Spring Al
umni Council meeting, the Alum
ni Parade, the All-Class Square
Dance and campus bus tours.
Regarding the membership
drive, Lehman emphasized that
although the association hopes to
enroll all graduating seniors,
those who cannot join now have
been requested to notify the Al
umni office of all address
changes. This office, he explained,
endeavors to have all current ad
dresses of University alumni.
Research Prof Speaks
To Engineering Society
Elmer R. Queer, professor and
director of engineering research,
spoke on “What Are Our Future
Energy Sources?” ,at a recent
meeting of the St. Louis, Mo.,
chapter of the American Society
of Heating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers.
He is first vice president of the
society.
WMAJ 1450 On Your Dial
Saturday
6:30 -- Sign On
6:32 Morning Show
8:30 ______ Morning Devotions
8:45 Morning Show
10:00 - ... Overnight News
10:15 Proudly We Hail
10:45 - Chamber of Com.
11:00 - - - -- - Farm-Home Forum
11:39 -- ----- r —— Neva
11:35 . i ■ ■ - Wheel of Chance
12:00 ___________ Got. and the News
12:15 ..... Centre Co. News
12:30 What’s Going On
13:35 i,. , _ Marie
13:50 ... . Centre Co. Ag. Ext.
1:00 Srmphomea-Youth
1 £5 . Music
2:flQ --.- - - ■ - News
2:05 Studio X
4:00 News
■■ ... Afternoon on WMAJ
World Newi
8:15 , Great Outdoors
i Sports Special
8:45 ... ■ ■ Music
Satcrday Night
Hi-Fi Open Bouse
J:W —— . flat. Night Dancing Party
Biso Off
' SATURDAY. MAY 18. 1957
Pittsburgh Dean
To Give Final
Grad Lecture
Dr. Max A. Lauffer, dean of
the Division of the Natural Sci
ences at the University of Pitts
burgh, will present the final lec
ture of the Graduate School ser-<’
ies at 8 p.m. Tuesday in 19
Sparks.
Dr. Lauffer, who was gradu
ated from the University in 1933,
will speak on “Horizons in Virus
Research." He is one of the
world’s foremost research men
in the field of virology.
Graduated from University
A native of Middletown, Pa.,
Dr. Lauffer received his master
of science and bachelor of sci
ence degrees from the University.
He earned his doctor of philoso
phy degree at the University of
Minnesota:
He served on the faculty at
Minnesota and with the Rocke
feller Institute of Medical Re
search at Princeton. In 1944 ha
joined the University of Pitts
burgh faculty.
Received Award
In 1945 he received the re
search award in biochemistry of
Eli Lilly and Co. He acted as
chairman of the biological chem
istry division of the American
Chemical Society in 1949-1950.
From 1944 to 1954, he served
on the Board of Editors 'of “Ar
chives of Biochemistry and Bio
physics.” Since 1953 he has been
co-editor of “Advances in Virus
Research.”
Tryouts for Niftany Lion
To Be Held Tomorrow
Tryouts for next year’s Nittany
Lion, who performs at football
games and cavorts in parades,
will be held 6:30 pan. tomorrow
in front of Old Main.
Male students with a minimum
2.0 _ All-University average are
eligible to try out and have been
requested to bring a paper stating
their name, curriculum and aver
age.
Feat.: 1:37, 3:36, 5:35, 7:34. 9:36
“ABANDON SHIP”
Starring -
Tyrone Power
• SUNDAY • Show Begins
'2 O'clock
• STARTS MONDAY -•
“HOT SUMMER NIGHT”
7:30 Sign On
7:32 Music for Sunday
8:09 * Newa
8:10 8. 3. Lesson
8:30 . „ Reformation Hour v
0:00 - - ■ Herald of , Truth *
9*o —. ' Merman Tab. Choir
9:46 ---- - - Music
10:00 Ave Maria Hour
10:30 , .. News and Sports
10:45 _____ Local Church Service
11:55 --- -■ y _ Newa
12:00 ____________ Uuftio for Sunday
12 ;15 . . Bible Meditations
12:30 Church World Newa
12:45 __________ Christian Science
4:00 - float Program
1:15 Music
1:30 . Confraternity
1:45 -- Music for Sunday *
4:00 -- Oklahoma City Snn.
5:00 Music for Sunday
! 6:15 - - . r .. Newa
6;&0 ——■ Musie for Sunday
8:45 Sports - Warner
8:55 Thi* Fabled World
7:00 Bj the People
7:30 _ Protestant -Hour
-8:00 ____________ Music for Sunday
9:00 World News
9:05 Music of the Masters
10:QG - Groorolagr •'
1:00 , Sign Off