Sociological survey of Main Street, Los Angeles, California

The improvement of human society by influencing human action should be the ultimate purpose of the practical sociologist. Improvement implies a change for the better, and when attempted by man requires consideration of what constitutes a desirable objective, and of the means whereby it is to be attained. One of the primary steps in the process of accomplishing the desideratum is to acquire a knowledge of conditions as they are.; The chief purpose of this paper is to present information obtained by a study of a certain portion of downtown Main Street, Los Angeles, California. Discussion of cause and effect relationships and of remedies is not excluded, but evaluation and diagnosis are secondary. It is not intended as an esoteric treatment or the subject. The principal aim is to describe. The investigator believes that it evidence of existing conditions is properly offered the reader can recognize the problems for himself. It is left for him to decide what is good and what is bad.; The locality which is the object of study offers variety as to race, station in life, occupation, and character. Negroes, Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexicans mingle with the Caucasian. There may be found the "panhandler," the broken down laborer, the person of moderate means, and the average man. The honest worker and the "gyp artist," the dance hall hostess, the burlesque show girl, and the street evangelist are among those whose activities bring them there. Ample opportunity is afforded to observe what may be loosely defined as the less fortunate portion of humanity, and it is with these that this inquiry is principally concerned.通过影响人类行动以推动人类社会进步，应为应用型社会学家的终极宗旨。进步即指向更优的变迁，若由人类主动推进，则需审慎考量何为可欲的目标，以及达成该目标的路径。实现所欲求的目标，首要步骤之一便是洞悉事物的本然状态。本研究的核心宗旨，在于呈现针对美国加利福尼亚州洛杉矶市中心主街某一区域开展调研所获取的资料。本文并不排斥对因果关系与治理方案的探讨，但评估与诊断仅作为次要内容。本文并非针对该主题的深奥阐释，核心目标仅在于描述现状。调研者认为，若能将现存状况的相关资料恰当地呈现给读者，读者便可自行认知其中存在的问题；至于何为善、何为恶，则留待读者自行评判。本次调研的对象区域，在种族、社会阶层、职业与性格特征方面均呈现出丰富的多样性。非裔美国人、菲律宾人、华人、日本人与墨西哥人，与高加索人种混居于此。此地可见沿街乞讨者、落魄劳工、中产阶层人士与普通民众。诚实的劳动者与‘坑蒙拐骗者’、舞厅女招待、脱衣舞女郎以及街头布道者，皆是因各类活动聚集于此的人群。此地为人们观察可被宽泛界定为‘社会弱势人群’的群体提供了充足的契机，而本调研的核心关注对象，正是这一群体。