Daring to Be Dangerous: A Sociology for Our Troubled Times

Kalob, Dennis

doi:10.1177/0160597612442168

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…While academics do address the boycotts, most sources that we found are not research studies and tend to be grounded in oppositional political frameworks. One believes that Israel is a settler-colonial entity that illegally uprooted the indigenous Palestinian population (Bakan and Abu-Laban, 2009; Kalob, 2012; McMahon, 2014; Svirsky, 2015), whereas the other sees the establishment of Israel as a legitimate enterprise of the Jewish people, rooted in a valid Zionist-nationalist framework (Grossman, 2014; Mendes and Dyrenfurth, 2015; Rynhold, 2010). We present here the main issues discussed in BDS literature.…”

Section: Boycotts In Generalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarized words: discourse on the boycott of Israel, social justice and conflict resolution

Chaitin

Steinberg

2017

IJCMA

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Purpose The study aimed to investigate how Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and others from around the world present their views on boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) and the Palestinian Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). The quality of discourse was examined along with the implications of the rhetoric for social-justice and conflict resolution frameworks. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study analyzed 257 texts (newspaper articles, opinion pieces, YouTube videos, emails. Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, campaigns and websites) for content and quality of discourse and for their implications for social-justice and conflict resolution work. Findings Most texts divided into those in favor of the boycott and those opposed. The content was also polarized − most pro-BDS texts saw Israel as a settler-colonial enterprise, and emphasized issues of social-justice, whereas opponents perceived Israel as a legitimate nation and were skeptical of the human rights angle. The main types of discourse discerned included: ethnocentric talk, attack and intellectual discussion, regardless of national/ethnic origin of the writer or stance toward the boycott. Research limitations/implications Different types of texts were analyzed, which did not always fit easily into the discourse categories. Because this was the first study of its kind and looked at limited years, results should be approached with this in mind. Practical implications The rhetoric leaves little place for dialogue between those in favor and those opposed. Specific suggestions for combining social-justice work and conflict resolution work are offered. Social implications BDS discourse in its present form hampers finding a solution to the conflict and abuse of Palestinian rights. A new approach is needed to try to resolve these issues. Originality/value Because there are few systematic studies on BDS, this article provides insight into how people discuss the strategy and how it connects to frameworks for resolving conflicts.

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Section: Boycotts In Generalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarized words: discourse on the boycott of Israel, social justice and conflict resolution

Chaitin

Steinberg

2017

IJCMA

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“…Humanist sociology stands for a rejection of the influence of corporate capitalism on our discipline and world. In his 2011 AHS Presidential address, for instance, Dennis Kalob (2012) urges us “to dare to confront corporate capitalism” and articulates its problematic influence on our food systems, a system where “food is not produced by agribusiness to feed a hungry world, but to make a profit” while simultaneously millions go hungry (Kalob 2012:109). Kalob (2012) argues that our highest duty as professional humanist sociologists should be to not just study injustices but act to rectify them.…”

Section: Locavorism As Humanist Sociologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

Fitzgerald

2015

Humanity & Society

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In this address, I offer an explanation as to why I chose the theme ''Locavore Sociology: Challenging Globalization, Embracing the Local'' and the host city of Portland, Oregon, for the 2015 Association for Humanist Sociology meetings. I argue that locavorism is a distinctly humanist form of activism. I then explore the origins of locavorism, particularly in terms of its most obvious manifestation in the locavore food movement but also its extension to lesser known movements such as local living economies, local energy production and consumption, and local knowledges. The promise of locavorism and the limits of locavorism as a progressive movement are explored. Finally, I introduce the idea of locavore sociology as a challenge to dominant disciplinary narratives that interfere with understanding nuances associated with locality.

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“Quiet is the New Loud”: The Biosociology Debate’s Absent Voices

Ariansen

2021

Am Soc

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In 2000, a controversial article about hormones and gender roles was published to stimulate debate about whether and how biological knowledge should be integrated in sociological research. Two decades later, this so-called biosociology debate is more relevant than ever, as biological knowledge has become widespread across societies and scientific disciplines. Hence, we as sociologists are regularly confronted with biological explanations that challenge our own explanations. Whether this happens in the scientific arena, the classroom, media, or even at social events, these situations often force us, individually, to take a stance on whether to meet such explanations with dialogue or opposition. One could therefore expect that sociologists have an interest in discussing these issues with their peers, but their lack of participation in the biosociology debate suggests otherwise. This paper explores possible reasons for this absence and how sociologists’ views on biosociology are influenced by key agents – sociological associations and journals. Smith’s “A Sacred project of American Sociology”, and Scott’s “A Sociology of Nothing” served as theoretical tools in the paper. A qualitative content analysis of presidential addresses of four sociological associations was conducted. The analyses suggest that sociologist avoid biosociology for widely different reasons, including fear that biosociology legitimizes oppression. This avoidance is probably reinforced by the leftish politization of the sociological discipline and the rightish politization of society. Overcoming obstacles to engagement in biosociology is required to safeguard the scientific integrity of sociology and enable sociologists to provide relevant contributions to research on the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.

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Daring to Be Dangerous: A Sociology for Our Troubled Times

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

Polarized words: discourse on the boycott of Israel, social justice and conflict resolution

Polarized words: discourse on the boycott of Israel, social justice and conflict resolution

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

“Quiet is the New Loud”: The Biosociology Debate’s Absent Voices

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