Becoming Sociological: Disciplinarity and a Sense of ‘Home’

Abstract

This short reflective piece uses the concept of 'home' to explore sociology as an intellectual and disciplinary pursuit. Drawing on autobiographical reflections and ethnographic study of sociology writing, I consider some of the trajectories of academics into sociology and what these tell us about the discipline itself. In light of increasing incursions by audit culture and marketization of academia, Holmwood (2010) has drawn attention to a lack of clear internal identity as being 'sociology's misfortune' -that sociology loses out, and is weakened by lacking theories and methodologies specific to the discipline. This essay takes a more optimistic view of sociology's position, and instead argues that it is this very ambiguity which keeps the discipline a lively and vital space for explorations of the social.

Writing sociological fiction

“…Crafted using the methods braiding technique (Watson, 2020b), centrally, Into the Sea is a creative response to two sociological texts of notable contemporary significance: C Wright Mills’ (1959) The Sociological Imagination and Michael Burawoy’s (2005) ‘For Public Sociology’. Mills’ work on the promise and craft of sociology is a key definer of the discipline’s contemporary sensibility (Burton, 2016; Gane and Back, 2012). In recent years, Burawoy’s argument – that, while there is ‘no shortage of publics’, we ‘have a lot to learn about engaging them’ (2005: 8) – has generated much discussion and critique of sociology’s disciplinary structure and moral attachments (see Christensen, 2013; Deflem, 2013; Keith, 2008; Tittle, 2004).…”

Bringing it ‘Home’? Sociological Practice and the Practice of Sociology

“…The next cluster of reflexive essays offers an un-choreographed debate on acknowledging and holding in tension both the ‘above’ and the ‘below’, the public and the private of social life, as something that has both underpinned the strength of the sociological discipline and, as both Goodwin (2016) and Burton’s (2016) personal reflections show, many of our own careers within it. Goodwin, now located firmly back within the ‘home’ of a sociology department, after a spell in an interdisciplinary school of management, suggests we should go forward as ‘champions’ of the discipline, proud of the distinctive sociological lens we bring to our investigations of social issues.…”

“…After 50 years at the centre of the discipline, it is within this highly active and somewhat controversial set of debates that we locate this anniversary special issue of Sociology , with contributors discussing inter-disciplinary connections between sociology and criminology (Carrabine, 2016), environmental science (Hamilton et al, 2016), creative industry studies (McRobbie, 2016), social and cultural theory (Burowoy, 2016; Bhambra, 2016; Holmwood, 2016; Lamont, 2016), social policy (Banton, 2016), methodologies (Frade, 2016; Twine, 2016), cultural studies (Back, 2016; Burton, 2016; Goodwin, 2016), human geography (Tolia-Kelly, 2016) and the study of work and employment (Glucksmann, 2016) – all as sites of sociological practice. Our collection encourages the view that sociologists should not demur from questioning ‘what knowledge is produced under these conditions and what type of sociologist is produced in such circumstances’ (Halford and Strangleman, 2009: 818).…”

Writing and exhibiting a ‘live’ and convivial sociology: Portraiture and women’s lived experiences of a French suburb

“…The exhibition Habitantes d'Hier et d'Aujourd'hui: exposition sociologique et photographique can be described as a moment of 'creative public engagements' (Puwar & Sharma, 2012, p. 41, italics in the original) and of 'sociological sociability' (Back, 2012, p. 28). Amidst ongoing discussions of sociology's existential introspection (Levine, 1995) and at times crisis (Burawoy, 2005;Osborne et al, 2008;Savage & Burrows, 2007, some voices have emerged arguing for a 'live' (Back & Puwar, 2012) and more lively (Burton, 2016) form of sociology that will not be shaped and repressed by impact agendas and an increasingly oppressive audit culture (see also Gill & Pratt, 2008;Sparkes, 2007). The idea of a 'live sociology' has been getting some traction and a number of academics have embraced its manifesto by adopting a range of multi-media, multimodal and multi-sensorial methods of data collection as well as by communicating their work through different outlets (Back & Puwar, 2012;Jungnickel, 2020).…”