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Emory Bogardus and the Origins of the Social Distance Scale

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Abstract

This article provides some history of sociology by focusing on the origins of the Bogardus Social Distance Scale. The scale was developed by Emory Bogardus in 1924 and is still widely used in measuring prejudice. It has been translated into several languages, and used in many countries in measuring attitudes toward a variety of groups. The authors use primary and secondary data, including an interview with one of Bogardus’s colleagues, Thomas Lasswell, and the Bogardus archive at the University of Southern California. American racial and ethnic conflict, and the increasing scientific emphasis in sociology help explain the genesis of the scale. The personal biography of Bogardus is examined along with trends in sociology during his training at the University of Chicago and developments throughout American society. This study shows how the social environment of Bogardus influenced his personal life circumstances that help account for his creation of the scale.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 335 Middlebush Hall University of Missouri Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211-6100, USA

    Colin Wark & John F. Galliher

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  1. Colin Wark
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  2. John F. Galliher
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Correspondence to John F. Galliher.

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Thanks are due to a group that includes Thomas Lasswell, Jon Miller, Patricia Adolph, Susan Hikida, Claude Zachary, Ruth Chananie, Ann Hunter, Margaret Johnson, James Aho, Donald Granberg, Steve Kroll-Smith, and Nancy Turner Myers.

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Wark, C., Galliher, J.F. Emory Bogardus and the Origins of the Social Distance Scale. Am Soc 38, 383–395 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-007-9023-9

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