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Lee Rainwater

リー・レインウォーター

Rī Reinwōtā

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1928-01-07 （Oxford, Mississippi）
Died
2015-07-04 （Cambridge, Massachusetts） age 87
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Oxford, Mississippi → Cambridge, Massachusetts

Career

Occupations
Sociologist, Professor, Research Director
Active Years
1950-2005
Affiliations
Harvard University, Luxembourg Income Study
Influenced
Laud Humphreys

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Behind Ghetto Walls: Black Families in a Federal Slum

1970 Sociology

An empirical study of black families living in the federal slum of Pruitt–Igoe in St. Louis, analyzing family life, community structure, and mechanisms of poverty.

PovertyHousing policyRacial inequalityUrban sociology

Bibliography

  • Behind Ghetto Walls: Black Families in a Federal Slum (1970)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
EmpiricalComparative and quantitative analysis-focusedAcademic and explanatory tone
Recurring Motifs
Income inequalityUrban housing issuesRelationship between institutions and poverty

Legacy

Known for long academic career at Harvard and as co-founder and research director (1983–2005) of the Luxembourg Income Study. The Lee Rainwater Memorial Lecture series at CUNY began in 2017, and his influence continues in studies of social stratification and income distribution.

Academic Societies

  • American Sociological Association (likely affiliation)

Trivia

  • He was the dissertation adviser for Laud Humphreys.
  • Co-founder of the Luxembourg Income Study and served as its research director from 1983 to 2005.
  • The Lee Rainwater Memorial Lecture series at CUNY began in 2017.