W. I. Thomas | |
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![]() Thomas, before 1907 | |
Born | William Isaac Thomas 13 August 1863 Russell County, Virginia, U.S. |
Died | 5 December 1947 Berkeley, California, U.S. | (aged 84)
Resting place | Old Gray Cemetery, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Education | University of Tennessee University of Chicago |
Known for | Thomas theorem |
Spouses | |
Awards | Highest oratory honors of the University of Tennessee |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Sociology |
Institutions | University of Tennessee, Oberlin College, University of Chicago |
Doctoral advisor | |
Signature | |
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William Isaac Thomas (August 13, 1863 – December 5, 1947) was an American sociologist, understood today as a key figure behind the theory of symbolic interactionism.[1]
Collaborating with Polish sociologist Florian Znaniecki, Thomas developed and influenced the use of empirical methodologies in sociological research and contributed theories to the sociology of migration.[2] Thomas went on to formulate a fundamental principle of sociology, known as the Thomas theorem (aka Thomas dictum), whereby he would contend that "if men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences."[3] This microsociological concept served as a theoretical foundation for the field of symbolic interactionism which was developed by Thomas's younger peers—primarily at the University of Chicago.[4]
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