Major Fields of Sorokin's Philosophy of History

(1) The idea of cultural integration;
(2) The theory of social and cultural change;
(3) The identification of three cultural supersystems or ways of life through which, or around which, cultures are integrated;
(4) The idea of the alteration of these three ways of life with each other with the passage of time and the explana¬tion of this process; and,
(5) Sorokin's conception of the relations between types of culture and types of personality.

Writings on Social Change  

An outstanding trait or characteristic of importance in Sorokin's work is its concentration on social change after his arrival in America. He devoted most of his time to social change or "dynamics" as he calls it. He sought to find out what social change meant, why it has occurred, what it did to the person and the societies, and what were the eventual destinations of persons and societies in the new forms.

Welcome to the Pitirim A. Sorokin Collection at the University of Saskatchewan Special Collections.    

This section contains reviews of Sorokin's work. The following have been digitized and can be viewed by selecting the link: 

Crisis of Our Age: the Social and Cultural Outlook. Reviewed by [E. Sch.]

Man and Society in Calamity. Reviewed by Read Bain.

The following items are available online:

IV. B. 5 (01).  "Sorokin Plans Temptations for "Ideal" Entrance Exam." Harvard Crimson.

IV. B. 5 (02). "No Insult to Movies Intended".

IV. B. 5 (03). "Sorokin Maps a School to Train Temptation."

The following files from section IV. Clippings about Sorokin and His Theories have been digitized and are available (additions will be added over time):

IV. A. 8. The Russian Revolution and Russia Today and Her Future.

The following archival records have been digitized and are available online: 

This section contains reviews written by Sorokin found in part II. B. 1-9 of the finding aid.

Highlighted items have been digitized. 

II. B. Reviews. 

1. Civilization on Trial. Arnold J. Toynbee. New York: Oxford.