Definition

Proper noun: - David Riesman Jr.: A United States sociologist (1909-2002). He is best known for his influential work in sociology, particularly his analysis of social character and conformity in modern society.

Usage

• Proper noun:
  • David Riesman Jr.'s book "The Lonely Crowd" is a classic sociological text.
  • The theories of David Riesman Jr. were discussed in the lecture on 20th-century American sociology.

Advanced Usage

• The name is often used attributively to describe his ideas or the era of sociology he influenced.
  • We studied the Riesman thesis on social character types.
  • His work is part of the post-war Riesman era of sociological thought.

Variants and Related Words

• Riesmanian (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of the work or theories of David Riesman Jr.
  • A Riesmanian analysis of consumer culture.

Synonyms

• Sociologist David Riesman: A fuller descriptive synonym.
• The author of "The Lonely Crowd": A reference by his most famous work.

Related Terms and Context

• "The Lonely Crowd": His seminal co-authored work (with Nathan Glazer and Reuel Denney) which introduced concepts like "inner-directed" and "other-directed" personalities.
• "inner-directed": A personality type guided by internal values and goals, as defined by Riesman.
• "other-directed": A personality type guided by the expectations and preferences of others, as defined by Riesman.

Noun

1. United States sociologist (1909-2002)