▁Soci ology ▁Department ▁The ▁chance ▁for ▁a ▁shift ▁to ▁soci ology ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁when ▁Harvard ' s ▁first ▁Soci ology ▁Department ▁was ▁created ▁under ▁Russian ▁scholar ▁Pit ir im ▁Sor ok in . ▁Sor ok in , ▁who ▁had ▁fled ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁from ▁Russia ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁department . ▁Par s ons ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁department ' s ▁two ▁instruct ors , ▁along ▁with ▁Carl ▁Jos lyn . ▁Par s ons ▁established ▁close ▁t ies ▁with ▁bio chem ist ▁and ▁soci ologist ▁Lawrence ▁Joseph ▁Hend erson , ▁who ▁took ▁personal ▁interest ▁in ▁Par s ons ' ▁career ▁at ▁Harvard . ▁Par s ons ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁L .   J . ▁Hend erson ' s ▁famous ▁P are to ▁study ▁group ▁in ▁which ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁intellect uals ▁at ▁Harvard ▁participated , ▁including ▁C rane ▁Br inton , ▁George ▁C . ▁Hom ans , ▁and ▁Charles ▁P . ▁Curt is . ▁Par s ons ▁wrote ▁an ▁article ▁on ▁P are to ' s ▁theory ▁and ▁later ▁explained ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁adopted ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁" social ▁system " ▁from ▁reading ▁P are to . ▁Par s ons ▁also ▁made ▁strong ▁connections ▁with ▁two ▁other ▁influ ential ▁intellect uals ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁correspond ed ▁for ▁years : ▁econom ist ▁Frank ▁H . ▁Knight ▁and ▁Ch ester ▁Bar n ard , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dynamic ▁business men ▁of