{{Short description|American sociologist}} {{Infobox scientist | image = Ralph W Larkin.JPG | image_size = 210px | caption = Larkin in 2005 | name = Ralph W. Larkin | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1940|5|27}} | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | ethnicity = | field = Sociology | work_institutions = Rutgers University<br />City University of New York<br />University of California, Los Angeles | alma_mater = University of California, Santa Barbara (BA)<br />California State University at Northridge (MA)<br />University of California, Los Angeles (PhD) | doctoral_advisor = | doctoral_students = | known_for = ''Suburban Youth in Cultural Crisis'' (1979)<br />''Beyond Revolution: A New Theory of Social Movements'' (1986)<br />''Comprehending Columbine'' (2007) | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | influences = | influenced = | prizes = | religion = | footnotes = | signature = }}
'''Ralph Wild Larkin''' (born May 27, 1940) is an American sociologist and research consultant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ralph Larkin {{!}} John Jay College of Criminal Justice |url=https://www.jjay.cuny.edu/faculty/ralph-larkin |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=www.jjay.cuny.edu |language=en}}</ref> He is the author of ''Suburban Youth in Cultural Crisis'' (1979), ''Beyond Revolution: A New Theory of Social Movements'' (1986), and ''Comprehending Columbine'' (2007).<ref>{{cite book | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Suburban Youth in Cultural Crisis | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =October 18, 1979 | page =[https://archive.org/details/suburbanyouthinc0000lark/page/272 272] | url =https://archive.org/details/suburbanyouthinc0000lark/page/272 | isbn =0-19-502523-7 }}</ref><ref name="beyondrevolution">{{cite book | last =Foss | first =Daniel A. | author2 =Ralph Larkin | title =Beyond Revolution: A New Theory of Social Movements (Critical Perspectives in Social Theory) | publisher =Bergin & Garvey | date =March 31, 1986 | page =[https://archive.org/details/beyondrevolution0000foss/page/192 192] | url =https://archive.org/details/beyondrevolution0000foss/page/192 | isbn =0-89789-077-9 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Comprehending Columbine | publisher =Temple University Press | date =January 28, 2007 | page =272 | isbn = 978-1-59213-491-5}}</ref> He obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and received a master's degree in education from California State University at Northridge.
In 1969, Larkin received a Ph.D. in the sociology of education from the University of California, Los Angeles, subsequently teaching sociology at Rutgers University, Newark, in 1973. He met fellow sociologist Daniel A. Foss while teaching at Rutgers, and they later partnered in researching social movements. They co-authored a book together on social movements, and have jointly published studies in academic journals including ''Theory & Society'', ''Sociological Analysis'', and ''Social Text''. Larkin is a senior research associate and adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and owns his own consulting firm called Academic Research Consulting Service.
==Early life and education== Larkin was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 27, 1940, and obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1961.<ref name="beyondrevolution" /> After teaching elementary school in California, Larkin obtained a master's degree in education from California State University at Northridge in 1966, and received his Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1969.<ref name="beyondrevolution" /> In 1970, Larkin moved to New York and worked as a research associate at the Center for Urban Education.<ref name="beyondrevolution" /> He became an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University in 1973.<ref name="beyondrevolution" />
==Career==
===Research on social movements=== Larkin met fellow sociologist Daniel A. Foss when they were both teaching sociology at Rutgers University.<ref name="beyondrevolution" /> They have frequently partnered in research on the study of social movements.<ref name="beyondrevolution" /><ref name="fromthegates" /><ref name="Worshiping the Absurd" /> The book ''Beyond Revolution: A New Theory of Social Movements'' was co-authored with Foss.<ref name="beyondrevolution" /> Larkin and Foss have also jointly published research in sociology journals, including a piece on the white middle class youth movement of the 1960s and its relationship to later movements such as the Children of God, the Divine Light Mission, Swami Muktananda and the Revolutionary Youth Movement in ''Theory and Society''.<ref name="fromthegates">{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. |author2=Daniel A. Foss | title =From "the gates of Eden" to "day of the locust" | journal=Theory and Society | volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=45–64 |issn=0304-2421 |date=March 1976| doi=10.1007/BF00158479| s2cid =140396408 }}</ref> They later wrote a more focused article dealing with Guru Maharaj Ji and his followers, which was published in ''Sociological Analysis'', and a piece dealing with the vocabulary utilized in these social movements, in ''Social Text''.<ref name="Worshiping the Absurd">{{cite journal |last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. |author2=Daniel A. Foss | title =Worshiping the Absurd: The Negation of Social Causality among the Followers of Guru Maharaj Ji | journal =Sociological Analysis | volume =39 | issue =2 | pages =157–164 | publisher = Oxford University Press| date =Summer 1978| doi =10.2307/3710215 | jstor = 3710215 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Larkin | first=Ralph |author2=Daniel Foss |title =Lexicon of Folk-Etymology |journal =Social Text | volume =9/10 | issue = 9| pages =360–377, The 60's without Apology | publisher = Duke University Press |date =Spring–Summer 1984| doi =10.2307/466589 | jstor = 466589 }}</ref> Larkin and Foss' research has later been cited by books on both the 1960s subculture, and on movements of social change such as the middle class youth movement and other forms of counterculture and subculture.<ref>{{cite book | last =Grunenberg | first =Christoph |author2=Jonathan Harris | title = Summer of Love: Psychedelic Art, Social Crisis and Counterculture in the 1960s | publisher =Liverpool University Press | year =2005 |page=35 | isbn = 0-85323-929-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Jordan | first =Tim | author2 =Steve Pile | title =Social Change | publisher =Blackwell Publishing | year =2002 | page =[https://archive.org/details/socialchange0000unse/page/358 358] | isbn =0-631-23312-1 | url =https://archive.org/details/socialchange0000unse/page/358 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =McKay | first =George | title =Senseless Acts of Beauty: Cultures of Resistance Since the Sixties | publisher =Vero | year =1996 | pages = 4, 12–13, 82, 187, 197 | isbn =1-85984-908-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Falk | first =Ursula A. |author2=Gerhard Falk | title =Youth Culture and the Generation Gap | publisher=Algora Publishing | year =2005 | page=188 |isbn = 0-87586-369-8}}</ref>
===Teaching=== Larkin has taught coursework in the Department of Sociology at the Newark College of Arts and Science of Rutgers University, and was also a research associate at the Center for the Study of Evaluation, University of California, Los Angeles Graduate School of Education.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Social Exchange in the Elementary School Classroom: The Problem of Teacher Legitimation of Social Power | journal =Sociology of Education | volume =48 | issue =4 | pages =400–410 | publisher = American Sociological Association| date =Autumn 1975| doi =10.2307/2112257 | jstor = 2112257 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Pattern Maintenance and Change in Education | journal =The Teachers College Record | volume =72 | issue =1 | pages =111–120 | publisher =Teachers College, Columbia University | year =1970 | doi =10.1177/016146817007200111 | s2cid =150385631 }}</ref> After the publication of his work ''Comprehending Columbine'' (which discussed possible cultural and societal causes for the Columbine High School massacre), Larkin was contacted by the press for comment on the massacre, and discussed a judge's decision to seal information and tapes containing information about the killers.<ref name="weller">{{cite news | last =Weller | first =Robert | title =Eight years after Columbine, relatives still seek answers | work =The Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star | page = A19 | date =April 21, 2007 }}</ref> "The judge said the tapes were incendiary. We have plenty of things already that stimulate violence," said Larkin.<ref name="weller" /> Prior to writing the book, Larkin had given a seminar at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice's Center on Terrorism, entitled: "From Oklahoma City to Columbine: Paramilitary Influences on Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold."<ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Friday Seminar Series | work =Center on Terrorism | publisher =John Jay College of Criminal Justice | date =December 5, 2003 | url =http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/terrorism/_fss.asp | access-date = 2007-11-11 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070425173020/http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/terrorism/_fss.asp |archive-date = April 25, 2007}}</ref> Larkin is an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. He ran his own consulting firm called Academic Research Consulting Service for 25 years.<ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Open Letter on Immigrants and Crime | work =American Immigration Law Foundation | date =July 2, 2007 | url =http://www.ailf.org/ipc/ipc_openletter0507.shtml | access-date = 2009-05-12 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080120131525/http://www.ailf.org/ipc/ipc_openletter0507.shtml |archive-date = 2008-01-20}} (archived at Internet Archive)</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Departments: Members' New Books | work =Footnotes | pages =Volume 35, Number 5 | publisher =American Sociological Association | date =May–June 2007 | url =http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/mayjun07/departments.html | access-date = 2007-11-11 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Ralph W. Larkin: Comprehending Columbine | work =Temple University Press | publisher = Temple University | year =2007 | url =http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1846_reg.html | access-date = 2007-11-11}}</ref>
==Published works==
===Books=== *{{cite book | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Comprehending Columbine | publisher =Temple University Press | date =January 28, 2007 | isbn = 978-1-59213-491-5}} *{{cite book | last =Foss | first =Daniel A. | author2 =Ralph Larkin | title =Beyond Revolution: A New Theory of Social Movements (Critical Perspectives in Social Theory) | publisher =Bergin & Garvey | date =March 31, 1986 | url =https://archive.org/details/beyondrevolution0000foss | isbn =0-89789-077-9 | url-access =registration }} *{{cite book | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Suburban Youth in Cultural Crisis | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =October 18, 1979 | url =https://archive.org/details/suburbanyouthinc0000lark | isbn =0-19-502523-7 | url-access =registration }}
===Articles=== *{{cite journal |last=Larkin |first=Ralph W. |title=The Columbine legacy: Rampage shootings as political acts |journal=American Behavioral Scientist |volume=52 |number=9 |year=2009 |pages=1309–1326 |doi=10.1177/0002764209332548 |s2cid=144049077 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247751861}} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Lurching Toward the Millennium: Youth in the Next Decade | journal =The World & I Online | issue =Modern Thought / Children of the Baby Boomers: Prospects for the Future | date =November 1, 1988 }} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph |author2=Daniel Foss | title =Lexicon of Folk-Etymology | journal = Social Text | volume = 9/10 | issue = The 60's without Apology | pages =360–377 | publisher = Duke University Press| date =Spring–Summer 1984| doi = 10.2307/466589 | jstor = 466589 }} *{{cite journal | last =Foss | first =Daniel A. |author2=Ralph W. Larkin | title =The Roar of the Lemming: Youth Postmovement Groups, and the Life Construction Crisis | journal =Sociological Inquiry | volume =49 | issue = 2–3| pages =264–85 | publisher =Blackwell Publishing Ltd | year =1979 | doi = 10.1111/j.1475-682X.1979.tb00375.x}} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. |author2=Daniel A. Foss | title =Worshiping the Absurd: The Negation of Social Causality among the Followers of Guru Maharaj Ji | journal =Sociological Analysis | volume =39 | issue =2 | pages =157–164 | publisher = Oxford University Press| date =Summer 1978| doi =10.2307/3710215 | jstor = 3710215 }} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. |author2=Daniel A. Foss | title =From "the gates of Eden" to "day of the locust" | journal =Theory and Society | volume =3 | issue =1 | pages =45–64 | issn=0304-2421| date =March 1976 | doi =10.1007/BF00158479 | s2cid =140396408 }} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Social Exchange in the Elementary School Classroom: The Problem of Teacher Legitimation of Social Power | journal =Sociology of Education | volume =48 | issue =4 | pages =400–410 | publisher = American Sociological Association| date =Autumn 1975| doi =10.2307/2112257 | jstor = 2112257 }} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Contextual Influences on Teacher Leadership Styles | journal =Sociology of Education | volume =46 | issue =4 | pages =471–479 | publisher = American Sociological Association| date =Autumn 1973| doi =10.2307/2111900 | jstor = 2111900 }} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Class, Race, Sex and Preadolescent Attitudes | journal =California Journal of Educational Research | volume =23 | issue =5 | pages =213–23 | date =November 1972 }} *{{cite journal | last =Larkin | first =Ralph W. | title =Pattern Maintenance and Change in Education | journal =The Teachers College Record | volume =72 | issue =1 | pages =111–120 | publisher =Teachers College, Columbia University | year =1970 | doi =10.1177/016146817007200111 | s2cid =150385631 }}
==See also== {{Portalbar|Biography|United States|Society}} *List of sociologists
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *[http://www.arcsconsulting.com Academic Research Consulting Service], Ralph W. Larkin's consulting company *[http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1846_reg.html Ralph W. Larkin: ''Comprehending Columbine''], official publisher's Web site for Larkin's 2007 book
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Larkin, Ralph}} Category:Living people Category:California State University, Northridge, alumni Category:American sociologists Category:1940 births Category:University of California, Santa Barbara alumni Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni Category:John Jay College of Criminal Justice faculty Category:Rutgers University faculty Category:People from Los Angeles