Peter Worsley

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British sociologist and anthropologist (1924–2013)

title: "Peter Worsley" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["academics-of-the-university-of-hull", "academics-of-the-university-of-manchester", "alumni-of-emmanuel-college,-cambridge", "alumni-of-the-university-of-manchester", "british-sociologists", "development-specialists", "british-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "1924-births", "2013-deaths", "presidents-of-the-british-sociological-association", "new-left"] description: "British sociologist and anthropologist (1924–2013)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Worsley" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British sociologist and anthropologist (1924–2013) ::

Peter Maurice Worsley (6 May 1924 – 15 March 2013) was a noted British sociologist and social anthropologist. He was a major figure in both anthropology and sociology, and is noted for introducing the term Third World into English. He not only made theoretical and ethnographic contributions, but also was regarded as a key founding member of the New Left.

Early life and education

Born in Birkenhead, Worsley started reading English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, but his studies were interrupted by World War II. He served in the British Army as an officer in Africa and India. During this time, he developed his interest in anthropology. After the war, he worked on mass education in Tanganyika and then went to study under Max Gluckman at the University of Manchester. He received his PhD from the Australian National University in Canberra.

Career

He lectured in sociology at the University of Hull and then went on to become the first Professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester in 1964.

Awards

Winner of the Curl Bequest Prize (1955) of the Royal Anthropological Institute for The kinship system of the Tallensi: a revaluation (Published in JRAI 1956, pp. 37–75).

Key works

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  • Subsequent publications by Weidenfeld & Nicolson (London), 1984 & 1988. .
  • Subsequent publications 1998 & 1999. Alternative .
  • Subsequent publications Routledge 1989, 1990 ; 2002 .

References

  • David Simon (ed) (2006) Fifty Key Thinkers in Development, Routledge

Citations

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References

  1. [https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/mar/28/peter-worsley Peel, JDY (2013) Peter Worsley obituary: Sociologist who did much to define the idea of a 'third world', ''The Guardian'', Thursday 28 March] (Accessed April 2013)
  2. [http://www.dspace.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/1810/279/4/Peter_Worsley.doc Peter Worsley: A Life, interviewed by Alan Macfarlane] (Accessed April 2013)
  3. (5 February 2009). "Curl Bequest Prize essays submitted 1951-98". [[Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland]].

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academics-of-the-university-of-hullacademics-of-the-university-of-manchesteralumni-of-emmanuel-college,-cambridgealumni-of-the-university-of-manchesterbritish-sociologistsdevelopment-specialistsbritish-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii1924-births2013-deathspresidents-of-the-british-sociological-associationnew-left