James Samuel Coleman
| James Samuel Coleman | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
May 12, 1926 Bedford, Indiana, United States |
| Died | March 25, 1995 (aged 68) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Sociological Theory, Mathematical Sociology |
| Alma mater | Purdue University, Columbia University |
| Doctoral advisor | Paul Lazarsfeld |
| Doctoral students | Ronald S. Burt |
James Samuel Coleman (May 12, 1926 – March 25, 1995) was an American sociologist, theorist, and empirical researcher, based chiefly at the University of Chicago. He was elected president of the American Sociological Association. He studied the sociology of education and public policy, and was one of the earliest users of the term "social capital." His Foundations of Social Theory influenced sociological theory. His "The Adolescent Society" (1961) and "Coleman Report" (Equality of Educational Opportunity, 1966) were two of the most cited books in educational sociology. The landmark Coleman Report helped transform educational theory, reshape national education policies, and it influenced public and scholarly opinion regarding the role of schooling in determining equality and productivity in the United States.
As the son of James and Maurine Coleman, he spent his early childhood in Bedford, Indiana, but he moved to Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating in 1944, he enrolled in a small school in Virginia but left to enlist in the US Navy during World War II. Coleman received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University in 1949.
He initially enrolled to study chemistry but became interested in sociology and continued his graduate studies at Columbia University. In 1955, while studying to receive his Ph.D. from Columbia, he was influenced by Paul Lazarsfeld.
Coleman achieved renown with two studies on problem solving: An Introduction to Mathematical Sociology (1964) and Mathematics of Collective Action (1973). He taught at Stanford University and the University of Chicago. In 1959, he moved to Johns Hopkins University, where he taught as an associate professor. He eventually became a full professor in social relations until 1973, when he returned to Chicago.
Upon his return, he became the professor and senior study director at the National Opinion Research Center. In 1991, Coleman was elected President of the American Sociological Association. In 2001, Coleman was named among the top 100 American intellectuals, as measured by academic citations, in Richard Posner's book, Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline.
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