In conclusion, then, two factors in social phe-
nomena have been recognized and their signifi-
cance for analysis shown. Usually the cause of
the phenomenon is inaccurately thought to be
largely biological or psychological and only
slightly cultural. The cause of unemployment,
for Instance, was thought by many to be due to
human nature, that Is, to laziness, to unwillingness
to work, to a desire to loaf, to lack of ambition
or to many other psychological traits of the un-
employed. The cultural causes of unemployment
are not the first to be seen. But as a result of in-
vestigation it is found that a vast amount of un-
employment is due to the cyclical and seasonal
nature of industrial life, and to a particular organ-
ization of business which could be greatly im-
proved by a good system of employment agen-
cies. While it Is a fact that the general tendency
Is to overemphasize human nature as a cause In

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the whole field, still the preceding analyses do
not warrant any dogmatic doctrines. The dogma
of the pure environmentalist is as untrue as the
dogma of the biologist as previously indicated in
the study of crime. The investigation should
concern both factors and the facts in each case
will determine the relative significance of each
factor. There are perhaps several reasons why
good methodology should sanction as a first step
a consideration of the cultural factor. In the
first place the cultural factor is directly connected
with a description of the phenomenon; a descrip-
tion being necessary before an analysis of causes
is undertaken. An account of the cultural factor
is In part a history and an account of contem-
porary cultural relationships. Furthermore, it
Is frequently possible to make such an account
with a fair degree of accuracy. It Is usually
much more difficult to describe the factor of hu-
man nature. Human nature is very elusive; our
Ignorance of its laws is great; measurement is
difficult; and prejudices are strong. Further-
more the influence of the factor, human nature,
can be seen usually much more clearly after the
cultural factor Is understood. These remarks,
while applying specifically to analyses of partic-
ular social phenomena, are also applicable to
accounts of cultural development in general.
