Frederic Milton Thrasher (1892–1962) was a sociologist at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. He was a colleague of Robert E. Park and was one of the most prominent members of the Chicago School of Sociology in the 1920s. Thrasher was born in Shelbyville,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

in 1892. He graduated B.A. from

DePauw University DePauw University ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Greencastle, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury College and changed its name to DePauw University in 1884. The college has a Methodist heritage and was ...

in 1916 in

social psychology Social psychology is the methodical study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Although studying many of the same substantive topics as its counterpart in the field ...

, then did an MA in 1918 at

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

with a thesis on ''"The Boy Scout Movement as A Socializing Agency."'' He then took a PhD in

in 1926, on Gangs. Thrasher's epic work: ''The Gang: a study of 1313 gangs in Chicago,'' was published in 1927. It said that "neighborhoods in transition are breeding grounds for gangs." Thrasher’s work on gangs was one of a series of outstanding doctoral studies completed under Robert E. Park’s direction in the "golden era" of the

Sociology Department. In the 1930s he then moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he taught at the Steinhardt School of Education of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

, becoming Professor of educational sociology and retiring in 1959. While there he initiated a

media studies Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but it mos ...

programme where he began a series of studies of the effects of

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

s on children. His courses on the subject were path breaking, including a course, begun in 1934, named ''“The Motion Picture: Its Artistic, Educational and Social Aspects.”'' He also served widely as a consultant to groups concerned with motion pictures,

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

prison reform Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, reduce recidivism or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are ...

, and prevention of

juvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior younger than the statutory age of majority. These acts would be considered crimes if the individuals committing them were older. The term ...

Publications

* 1927: ''The Gang: A Study of 1,313 Gangs in Chicago'', University of Chicago Press, * 1931: ''"Social Attitudes of Superior Boys in an Interstitial Community"'' In K. Young (ed) Social Attitudes. New York: Henry Holt (1931): 236-264. * 1933: ''Juvenile delinquency and crime prevention.'' Journal of Educational Sociology, 6, 500-509 * 1935: ''Young Lonigan: A Boyhood in Chicago Streets'' by James T Farrell, with an Introduction by Frederic M. Thrasher. Vanguard Books. First edition, with an additional Introduction by Robert Morss Lovett * 1946: ''Okay for Sound: How the Screen Found its Voice,'' New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce * 1949: ''"The Comics and Delinquency: Cause or Scapegoat,"'' 23 J. Educ. Sociology 195 (1949) * 1954: ''“Do the Crime Comic Books Promote Juvenile Delinquency?”'' The

Congressional Digest The ''Congressional Digest'', published by Congressional Digest Corporation, is a scholarly independent monthly publication with offices in Washington, DC. ''Congressional Digest'' was founded in 1921 by suffragette Alice Gram Robinson with the g ...

, 33(12), December

References

External links

*
A 1923-26 map of Chicago gangs made by Thrasher

Useful background to his teaching at New York University
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thrasher, Frederic 1892 births DePauw University alumni American sociologists Thrasher, Frederic M. University of Chicago faculty New York University faculty 1962 deaths

Publications

See also

References

External links