Classical cultural sociology: Florian Znaniecki's impact in a new light

Abstract

It is argued that a renewed reception of the works of the Polish and American scholar Florian Znaniecki should be carried out by any so-called 'cultural turn' in sociology. If the new cultural sociology is to obtain firm and broader theoretical grounds, it needs to transcend its mere reaction against structural-functional normativism in search of classic studies of cultural dynamics such as those of Florian Znaniecki. The reasons behind the blurring of Znaniecki's influence upon 20th-century sociologists, including Talcott Parsons and Alfred Schutz, are investigated through a general examination of the reception contexts of his work. An overview of Znaniecki's general theoretical contribution to cultural sociology is simultaneously presented. Copyright © 2006 SAGE Publications.