[7] His 1937 doctoral thesis was titled The Canadian Manufacturers' Association: A Political and Social Study.
[dubious – discuss] Through his efforts, sociology gained respect from Canadian scholars who were initially skeptical of the discipline.
[13] As a sociologist, Clark became known for studies interpreting Canadian social development as a process of disorganization and re-organization on a series of economic frontiers.
[5] Under Clark's direction, a series on the Social Credit movement produced 10 monographs by Canadian scholars.
[5] In the 1960s, Clark's interest shifted to contemporary consequences of economic changes, especially suburban living and urban poverty.
[13] In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada as "social historian of international repute and, as one of our most distinguished scholars".