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Who is the Social Physicist?

Dr. Jonathan Turner's professional accomplishments, areas of expertise, and credentials. 

Jonathan Turner is an accomplished academic within the field of Sociology.

 

Dr. Turner received his B.A. degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1965, his M.A. from Cornell University in 1966, and his PhD. from Cornell University in 1968.

 

Dr. Turner's first position was at the University of Hawaii in the academic year 1968-69, thereafter Dr. Turner moved to the University of California, Riverside in the academic year 1969-70, where he has been a professor now for 45 years.  He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1972, Professor in 1977, Distinguished Professor in 1997, and University Professor (for the U.C. system) in 2010.

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Affiliations

University of California,   Riverside

Department of Sociology

University of California, Riverside

Riverside, CA 92531-0419

USA

 

University of California, Santa Barbara

Department of Sociology

Social Sciences & Media Studies Bldg.

University of California

Santa Barbara, CA 93106

 USA

 

Institute for Theoretical Social Science

P.O. Box 12 for Suite 21

135 Harbor Way

Santa Barbara, CA 93109

USA

Education

1965    B.A.    University of California, Santa Barbara (Highest Honors and Outstanding Graduating Senior)

1966    M.A.   Cornell University

1968    Ph.D.  Cornell University

Academic Positions

  • 2010-present  38th University Professor, University of California system

  • 2019-2020  Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship

  • 2016-2021  Distinguished Professor of the Graduate Division, University of  California, Riverside              

  • 1997-2015  Distinguished Professor of Sociology, University of California, Riverside

  • 1977-1996  Professor, University of California, Riverside

  • 1972-1975  Chair, Department of Sociology, University of California, Riverside

  • 1972-1977  Associate Professor, University of California, Riverside

  • 1969-1972  Assistant Professor, University of California, Riverside

  • 1968-1969  Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii

  • 1984-1985  Fellow, Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study

  • 1985  Guest Scholar, Clare Hall, University of Cambridge. Visiting Scholar, Social and Political Science Committee, University of Cambridge

  • 1986-present  Life Member, Clare Hall, University of Cambridge

  • 1987  Visiting Professor, Universitat Breman, Germany

  • 1991-1992  Fellow, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Bielefeld, Germany

  • 1993   Visiting Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Vienna, Austria

  • 1997   Visiting Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Vienna, Austria

  • 1999   Visiting Professor, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

  • 2000   Visiting Professor, Shandong University, Jinan, People’s Republic of China

  • 2014   Visiting Professor, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

Areas of Specialization

  • Interpersonal Processes

  • Status and Roles

  • Sociology of Emotions

  • Social Psychology

  • History of Sociological Theory

  • Philosophy of Science

  • Contemporary Sociological Theory

  • Social Change

  • Theory Construction

  • Comparative Institutions

  • Social Stratification and Inequality

  • Historical Sociology

  • Race and Ethnic Relations

  • Human Social Ecology

  • Human and Societal Evolution

  • Evolutionary Sociology

  • Neuro-sociology

  • Modeling of Social Processes

Course Preparations

  • Introductory Sociology                                                     

  • Sociological Theory

  • Inequality & Stratification                                         

  • Social Roles & Interaction

  • American Society                                                       

  • History of Social Thought

  • Race & Ethnic Relations                                

  • Social and Global Change

  • Theory Construction                          

  • Social Institutions

  • Social Psychology                                                                  

  • Macrostructure

  • Social Problems                                                         

  • Microstructures

  • Sociology of Emotions           

  • Evolutionary Sociology         

Awards

  • Faculty Research Lecturer, University of California, 1987

  • Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship Research Award, 2019-20, UC Riverside

  • Distinguished Emeriti Award, 2020-21, U. C. Riverside 

  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1997

  • Lifetime Achievement Award, Emotions Section, American Sociological Association, 2009

  • Best Book Award, On Human Nature: The Biology and Sociology that Made Us Human from Evolution, Biology, and Sociology Section, American Sociological Association, 2022.

  • Best Book Award, Handbook on Evolution and Society: Toward an Evolutionary Social Science from Evolution, Biology and Society Section, American Sociological Association, 2016.

  • Outstanding Recent Contribution Award for On the Origins of Human Emotions, Emotions Section, American Sociological Association, 2002

  • Outstanding Recent Contribution Award for Jan E. Stets and Jonathan H. Turner, Eds., Handbooks of the Sociology of Emotions, Emotions Section, American Sociological Association, 2008

  • Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, Pacific Sociological Association, 2002

  • Choice Award for one of: “Outstanding Books in Sociology, 2015, for Handbook of Evolution and Society, Association of College and Research Libraries.

  • Choice Award for one of: "Outstanding Academic Books in Sociology, 1985-86 for Herbert Spencer: A Renewed Appreciation, Association of College and Research Libraries

  • Choice Award for one of: "Outstanding Academic Books in Sociology, 1973 for American Society: Problems of Structure, Association of College and Research Libraries.

  • Choice Award for one of: Outstanding Books in Sociology, 1976” for Inequality: Privilege and Poverty in America (with Charles Stearns), Association of College Research Libraries. 

  • Choice Award for one of: Outstand books in Sociology, 2015, for Handbook of Society and Evolution: Toward a More Explanatory Social Science, Association of College and Research Libraries.  

  • The Sociological Perspectives Award from the Pacific Sociological Association, 1991

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

Elected Positions 

  • President

    • Pacific Sociological Association, 1988-1989

    • California Sociological Association, 2000-2001

  • Vice President

    • Pacific Sociological Association, 1979-80

  • Chair

    • Theory Section, American Sociological Association, 1986-87

    • Emotions Section, American Sociological Association, 2003-04          

    • Evolution, Biology, and Society Section, American Sociological Association, 2011-2012

  • Committee on Committees:

    • American Sociological Association, 1983-84

  • Council

    • Pacific Sociological Association, 1979-80

    • Theory Section, American Sociological Association, 1978-80

    • California Sociological Association, 1998-present

    • Emotions Section, American Sociological Association 200

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Editorial Positions 

  • Editor

    • Sociological Theory, Theory Journal of the American Sociological Association, 1999-2004

    • Sociological Perspectives, Official Journal of the Pacific Sociological Association, 1992-1996

    • Theory Section Newsletter, American Sociological Association, 1980-1987

  • Editorial Board

    • American Sociological Review, 1980-1982, 1996-2000

    • The American Sociologist, 1997-present 

    • Sociological Perspectives, 1996-2000, 2012-2018

    • Social Psychology Quarterly, 2013-2015

    • Rose Monograph Series, 1984-1988    

    • University of California Press, 1987-1989

    • THESIS (Russian Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies), 1992-1998

    • American Journal of Sociology, 1982-1984

    •  Perspectives in Social Theory, 1979-1983

    • The Sociological Quarterly, 1985-1988 

    • Sociological Theory, 1984-1986

    • California Sociologist, 1984-1987

    • History of Sociology, 1984-1987

    • Qualitative Sociological Review, 2005-present

  • Consulting Editor

    • Nelson-Hall Publishers, Chicago, Illinois, 1983 - 1999

  • Series Editor

    • Sage Publications, Masters of Sociological Theory

    • Sage Publications, Series on Sociological Theory (with Jeffrey C. Alexander)

    • Goodyear Publishing, Series on American Society

    • Routledge Publishing, Series on Evolutionary Social Science (current)

 

Appointed Committee Positions

  • Chair

    • Committee on Committees, American Sociological Association, 1984

    • Contract Monitoring Committee, Pacific Sociological Association, 1992-1996

    • Committee on Career of Distinguished Scholarship American Sociological Association, 1997-1998

  • Member

    • Scholarly Publications Award Committee, American Sociological Association, 1987-89

    • Committee on Career of Distinguished Scholarship, American Sociological Association, 1995-1997

 

Memberships

  • Sociological Research Association

  • American Association for Advancement of Science     

  • American Sociological Association

  • Pacific Sociological Association  

  • California Sociological Association

  • International Sociological Association, Theory Group

Publications
(click here to see Jonathan Turner's publications)

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