Centenary College Epsilon Chapter

Founded 1976

Alpha Kappa Delta Origins:

Alpha Kappa Delta is an international sociology honor society that began at the University of Southern California under the suggestion of Emory S. Borgardus in 1920. The group was formed to serve as a forum for faculty and graduate students to discuss their research.

AKD Now:

Presently, Alpha Kappa Delta has thousands of members in over 400 chapters throughout the world and is proud to be a member in ACHS, the national council of honor societies.

Students with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and 10 or more hours in sociology with a 3.0 GPA are eligible for membership in Eta Chapter, Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society.

The Meaning of Membership

Alpha Kappa Delta derives its name from the first letters of three Greek words, being:
anthropon (mankind), katamanthaneion (to investigate thoroughly or to conduct research), and diakonesein (for the purpose of service). We promote the values of Alpha Kappa Delta in the pursuit of improving and servicing mankind through the study of scientific study of society.

Membership in Alpha Kappa Delta is lifetime and includes a one year subscription to the scientific journal Sociological Inquiry to help aid in our drive towards scientific service to humankind. Alpha Kappa Delta is a democratic, non-secret organization dedicated to the scientific study of social phenomena for the promotion of human welfare. Election to Alpha Kappa Delta has always been and will continue to be without regard to race, creed, or national origin. Therefore, we require no oaths, vows, or pledges, but as you receive the Certificate of Membership, we hope this simple act and this simple institution will help you to make the ideals of Alpha Kappa Delta your own.

Ideals

Alpha Kappa Delta derives its name from the first letters of the three Greek words, "anthropon" (human kind), "katamanthanein" (to investigate thoroughly), and "diakonesein" (for the purpose of service). When this phrase is translated freely, it expresses both the goal and the method of Alpha Kappa Delta; "To study humankind for the purpose of service." In the lasts analysis, the purpose of all science is to improve people's adjustments to their physical, biological, and cultural environments. The purpose of Alpha Kappa Delta is to promote human welfare through the association of a fellowship group interested in developing scientific knowledge that may be applied to the solution of social problems.

We believe that social phenomena are natural phenomena and can be studied by the same methods which have been so successful in the physical and biological sciences, and by other methods that sociologists have devised. Therefore, we believe in the whole-minded acceptance of the scientific point of view and rigorous application of scientific method to all human problems. Alpha Kappa Delta thus stands for the achievements of the GOOD LIFE by the methods of social science.

Since social science deals with a changing world of unlimited and unknown possibilities, it must continuously change its techniques, theories, and conclusions. We believe that social, like physical and biological occurrences, are natural phenomena; that in all the universal flux and change, there is sufficient degree of relatively stable and repetitive uniformity to make useful provision and prediction possible within carefully delineated frames of reference. In short, we believe that human choice, intelligence, and effort are susceptible to some as yet undetermined degree of rational organization and control. We believe that humankind, personality and societally, can achieve rational, integrated, creative and democratic social relationships.

Our ideal is to help create a world-wise culture in which all people cooperate for the good of all; to apply an ever-increasing fund of scientific knowledge and reasonable inference therefrom; to renounce self-pity, irrational hopes, and fears, and all animistic falsifications of reality; to master the physical, biological, and cultural factors which menace life and health, confuse the mind and threaten the welfare of the human race.

We hope all members of Alpha Kappa Delta will attain responsible leadership in their chosen fields and that they will discharge their duties with modesty and intelligence, with dignity and efficiency, with democratic respect for the rights and privileges of other. We hope each will have the gift of working, playing, learning, and loving with the joy and enthusiasm as long as they shall live. No matter what authority and fame they may attain, we hope they always will be most notable for their simplicity, sincerity, tolerance, courage, honesty, kindness, humor, democratic respect for human personality and their devotion to the scientific habit of mind and way of life. (AKD Handbook, 1997-1998)

History

In the fall of 1920, under the direction of Dr. E. S. Bogardus, 14 graduate students and members of the sociology staff of University of California organized a society for those who were vitally interested in, and who were doing outstanding work in, the field of sociology.

The society grew out of the feeling that there was a need for both faculty and students to get together regularly to discuss the sociological projects that they were undertaking. The society was named Alpha Kappa Delta. During the following year Dr. Bogardus, chairman of the Department of sociology, invited other sociology departments to establish similar honor societies.

At that time, there were many sociology clubs in many schools, as there still are, but Alpha Kappa Delta thought it desirable to limit membership in Alpha Kappa Delta to those students with superior scholarship and serious interest in sociology.

In 1911, the second chapter was founded at the University of Wisconsin. In December, 1913, at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Chicago, sociology representatives from the Universities of Southern California, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Kansas organized the United Chapters of Alpha Kappa Delta. Thereafter, the roster grew rapidly until there are now chapters in all parts of the United States and several other countries. Chapters in each state are named according to the Greek alphabet in the order of their founding. This chapter, in the state of Alaska, is Alpha, founded in 1990.

To be eligible for a chapter, an institution's Sociology Department must have at least two full-time teachers of sociology, and it must offer 30 semester hours of standard courses of sociology exclusive of summer sessions and extension teaching offerings. New chapters must be approved by three-fourths of the council. (AKD Handbook, 1997-1998)