Morality, Sociological Discourse, and Public Engagement

Abstract

In avoiding the topic of morality, sociologists have weakened our own capacity to advance the public understanding of one of our root ideas—namely, that society is an important force—and have largely ceded control of public dialogue to ideologues. In this article, I call for a renewed effort in sociology to explicitly take up the topic of morality and not shy from using value-oriented terms in our work and in public engagement. To illustrate this point, I examine the implications of the ever-expanding market culture. I use moral foundation theory to formulate key questions around this topic and, more broadly, offer a framework that sociologists might draw from in attending to the societal consequences of current social practices and trends.

Moral Realism in Historical Sociological Theory

“…This sociology of (im) morality is undoubtedly important, but it may have come at the expense of a loss of focus on the substantive elements of morality, itself. Indeed, use of the terms “moral,” “morals,” and “morality,” in sociology journals declined precipitously from the years 1950–2010 (Hitlin & Vaisey, , Brueggemann, ).…”

Morality at Work: Do Employees’ Moral Commitments Inhibit Service Disparities and Reactive Workplace Behaviors?

“…After a long lull, there is a recent resurgence in sociological attention to morality (cf. Brueggemann 2014; Fourcade and Healy 2007; Hitlin and Vaisey 2013; Kolb 2014; Stets and Carter 2011). This renewed interest corresponds with a growing cross-disciplinary emphasis on morality in explaining human behavior (cf.…”