Robert K. Merton as postwar prophet

• DOI: 10.1007/bf02692422
• Publication Date: 2007-08-30T14:15:08Z
• Authors: Gary Dean Jaworski
• Keywords: 05 social sciences; 0506 political science

Within the context of a discussion of Robert K. Merton’s ideas on leadership in postwar America, the article examines the nature and impact of Merton’s “sociological parables.” This term refers to short tales from social life from which sociological lessons with moral implications can be drawn. These parables, such as the bank insolvency story told in “The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy,” illustrate the manner in which Merton merged moral and sociological messages in his writings. Suggestions are made along the lines that these parables, or at least the moral messages they contain, contributed to Merton’s postwar fame.