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James Watson and Peter Meiksins study of the engineering profession

 Collection
Identifier: D.462

Biographical / Historical note

Sociologist James M. Watson was born in 1931 in Los Angeles, California and received his B.A. in Philosophy and his Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA. His thesis on the Watts Riot, for which he directed the field interviews, was one of the first studies of 20th century race riots that revealed the important role of police brutality as a key factor. Funded partly by government grants, it was requested by then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's office. After a first job at Indiana University, Watson came to the U. of Rochester in 1968, where his thesis chairperson, (Raymond J. Murphy) had become chair of the Sociology Department. A local firm had donated $50,000 to the University to set up an "Urban Observatory" to study the race riot that had occurred in Rochester and other cities, and some data had already been collected locally by Rochester sociology professor Dean Harper. When the U of R Sociology was disbanded a few years after his arrival, Watson was invited to become the Chairperson of the Sociology Department at SUNY Geneseo. Watson remained at Geneseo for some 17 years serving as Chair and teaching a variety of courses. Watson's research interests also included the study of professions, theory, and class structure. One of the several research projects he was involved in was the study of engineers. The material donated herein is based on an incomplete interview- in- depth- study of that profession. He was especially sensitive to the challenges of coding the interview material. Also included in this donation is some data that Watson and colleague Peter Meiksins did of a more survey research type with regard to engineers. Professor Watson was keenly interested in the divide between engineers who created and those who administered, or ones who moved from one focus to the other---i.e. with the topic of job satisfaction and its larger implications for society. He intended future research to include a special focus on women engineers. The interviews were done in the northeast, especially in upstate New York and Connecticut. However, Professor Watson died unexpectedly in August of 2010. In retirement Professor Watson also taught at the Eastman School of Music, exercising his considerable interest in and knowledge of all types of music, music history and the sociology of music.

Scope and Contents

The James Watson and Peter Meiksin Study of Engineering Profession is comprised of two series: Research Materials and Interviews. Both series span the late 1980s and 1990s. The first series includes two folders with notes related to an engineering study Watson conducted, which may be the same one referred to in the Interviews series. The second series includes lists of participating institutions and individuals, selected interview transcripts and questionnaires that subjects submitted.In addition to the eight manuscript boxes of questionnaires, there are 112 cassette tapes with interviews conducted by Watson and Meiksin as part of their study. There are also 58 3 1/2 inch floppy discs with selected interviews transcribed into a software called, Ethnograph.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1980s-1990s

Language of Materials

English

Extent

10 box(es) (8 manuscript boxes, 1 record carton with original tapes, 1 box 3 1/2 inch floppy disks)

Access

The James Watson and Peter Meiksins Study of Engineering Profession is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.



The interview recordings in this collection have been digitized. The original tapes are not available for access, but digital reformatted files will be linked to this finding aid when possible. In the meantime, interested researchers should contact RBSCP for access to the digital files.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers were the gift of Leah S. Watson, 2012.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], James Watson and Peter Meiksins Study of Engineering Profession, D.462, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester.

Arrangement

The Watson and Meiksins collection has been organized into two series:

Series I: Research Materials

Series II: Interviews

Title
James Watson and Peter Meiksins study of engineering profession
Status
Completed
Author
Lori Birrell and Lee LaFleur
Date
2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • August 2022: This finding aid was revised in August 2022 to update formatting, revise box arrangement, and including information about the digitization of the materials.

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA