ABSTRACT
In the immediate pre-war years sociology, in some European countries, was in the process of being suppressed. In Germany, for instance, Ferdinand Tonnies was retired from active work at Kiel University by the National Socialist regime, others like Max Horkheimer were obliged to emigrate to escape the persecution of the Jews. Moreover, the prevailing conservative attitudes towards social research were rapidly broken down under the pressures of necessity. In any case the social and cultural anthropologists who had started the line of enquiry turned to other things. In war-time was under-emphasised and under pressure of circumstances more attention was devoted to the study of cultural patterns. The war not only gave rise to pressing problems connected with military aims and administrative needs, but it focused people's attention on what was to happen after the war. In Britain the Government Social Survey was founded, originally called the War-time Social Survey.
