Sociology Noir

Between 1915 and 1935 the University of Chicago was the centre for the production of innovative sociological research that unearthed the marginalised existence of unconventional Americans. Referred to as the Chicago school monographs by social historians, these works brought acclaim to the country's premiere graduate programme in sociology. Working at the shadowy margins of the city, these Chicago school scholars dramatically examined the lives of delinquents, prostitutes, gangsters, and homeless men. Their work harmonised with narratives of proletarian and pulp fiction and the serialised newspaper accounts of urban vice and deviance. This book offers a survey of some of these key monographs such as "The Unadjusted Girl", "The Hobo", "The Jack-Roller" and "The Taxi Dance Hall".