Ogburn, William F(ielding) (1886–1959)

US sociologist. His major contributions were his pioneering application of statistical analysis to the social sciences and his seminal interpretation of social change, particularly the social impact of technological change. His major works were Social Change (1922, revised through 11 editions), which introduced the term ‘cultural lag’; Recent Social Trends in the United States (2 volsumes 1933); and Sociology (1940).

Ogburn was born in Butler, Georgia. A Columbia University PhD, he taught at Columbia (1919–27) and the University of Chicago (1927–51).