Peter Worsley
Encyclopedia
Peter Maurice Worsley is a noted British
sociologist and social anthropologist.
He is a major figure in both anthropology and sociology, and is noted for introducing the term third world
into English. He not only made theoretical and ethnographic contributions, but also was regarded as a key founding member of the New Left
.
, Worsley started reading English at Cambridge but his studies were interrupted by World War II
. He served in the British Army
as an officer in Africa and India. During this time he developed his interest in anthropology
. After the war he worked on mass education
in Tanganyika
and then went to study under Max Gluckman
at the University of Manchester
. He received his PhD from the Australian National University
in Canberra
.
and then went on to become the first Professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester
in 1964.
: a revaluation (Published in JRAI 1956, pp. 37–75).
1989, 1990 ISBN 0415043212; 2002 ISBN 0415285372.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sociologist and social anthropologist.
He is a major figure in both anthropology and sociology, and is noted for introducing the term third world
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
into English. He not only made theoretical and ethnographic contributions, but also was regarded as a key founding member of the New Left
New Left
The New Left was a term used mainly in the United Kingdom and United States in reference to activists, educators, agitators and others in the 1960s and 1970s who sought to implement a broad range of reforms, in contrast to earlier leftist or Marxist movements that had taken a more vanguardist...
.
Early life and education
Born in BirkenheadBirkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, Worsley started reading English at Cambridge but his studies were interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as an officer in Africa and India. During this time he developed his interest in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. After the war he worked on mass education
Mass education
Mass education refers to a massive educational system funded and run by the state to educate people on the state's interest....
in Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
and then went to study under Max Gluckman
Max Gluckman
Max Gluckman was a South African and British social anthropologist.He grew up in South Africa, working later under the British Administration in Northern Rhodesia...
at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. He received his PhD from the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
Career
He lectured in sociology at the University of HullUniversity of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
and then went on to become the first Professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
in 1964.
Awards
Winner of the Curl Bequest Prize (1955) of the Royal Anthropological Institute for The kinship system of the TallensiTallensi
The Tallensi are a tribe of the Frafra people of northern Ghana, numbering a few tens of thousands. They speak Talni, a dialect of the Frafra language, and maintain an agricultural mode of subsistence...
: a revaluation (Published in JRAI 1956, pp. 37–75).
Key works
........ Subsequent publications RoutledgeRoutledge
Routledge is a British publishing house which has operated under a succession of company names and latterly as an academic imprint. Its origins may be traced back to the 19th-century London bookseller George Routledge...
1989, 1990 ISBN 0415043212; 2002 ISBN 0415285372.