Public Sociology and the Public Turn in the Social Sciences

Abstract

Public sociology broadly conceptualized is a form of intellectuality involving dialogue between sociologists and the publics with whom they are concerned. Beyond this broad framing, what type of dialogue, with what purpose, which public(s), and the functions of intellectuals and the knowledge they produce are widely contested. In this essay, I explore the politics of academic disciplines, knowledge, and discourse as it has emerged within the debate over public sociology, while also highlighting what public sociology and the rise of other ‘public’ disciplines tells us about these themes in relationship to the possibility of public culture.

Doing It in Public: Dilemmas of Images, Voice, and Constructing Publics in Public Sociology on Sex Work

“…Burawoy's vision of the typology and "division of labor" in sociology has been the subject of much critique and debate (see Calhoun 2005;Christensen 2013;Ericson 2005;McLaughlin, Kowalchuk, and Turcotte 2005;Nickel 2010;Tittle 2004). Some critics have argued that the typology is indistinct and that Burawoy's delineations between the types of sociology are unhelpful due to significant overlaps in practice (Horowitz 2009); others have questioned the idea that sociology as a discipline is not inherently public (Ericson 2005).…”

Morality, Sociological Discourse, and Public Engagement

“…The internal problem revolves around the need to balance scientific integrity with the imperative to make our work available, practical, and intelligible. The system of producing sociology in this country—including undergraduate and graduate curricula, pedagogy, personnel procedures, criteria for grants, the mission of journals, the mission of professional societies, criteria for rankings, defining audiences, identifying outlets and modes of communication, epistemological parameters, and so on—in fact, comes with great promise and various risks (see Aggers 2007; Clawson et al 2007; Nickel 2010). Yet, endemic challenges internal to academic sociology—that is, indifference, insularity, and parochialism—persist and must be met head on.…”

“…Does sociology matter? We certainly hope so, but recent commentary suggests impact outside the discipline is uneven (Aggers 2007; Clawson et al 2007; Gans 1997; Jeffries 2009; Kristof 2014; Longhofer, Golden and Baiocchi 2010; Nickel 2010, 2012; Nyden, Hossfeld, and Nyden 2012). Most sociologists recognize the entanglement of collective well-being and self-interests, yet remain reluctant to engage moral terms.…”

Flying through the Cuckoo’s Nest: Countering the politics of agency in public criminology

“…Only quite recently have tensions emerged over what forms of political action are considered to be legitimate and effective (Piché, 2016; Ziobina and Vazquez, 2018). While finding a concrete answer to that onerous question continues to garner a great amount of attention from scholars laying out their struggles, successes, and failures “doing” public criminology (Bell, 2014; Gavrielides, 2008; Goldstein et al, 2008; Mopas and Moore, 2012; Nickel, 2010; Petersilia, 2008; Piché and Larsen, 2010; Piché and Strimelle, 2007; Schept, 2012; Stanko, 2007), there is still general conformity to the principle that engaged social science is not merely to interpret the world in various ways, but to actually change it (Marx and Engels, 2004).…”