On the Everyday Life of a Significant Sociologist

Abstract

This article provides a brief overview of Stephen Crook's scholarly and professional work as a prelude to the articles by Malcolm Waters and Jan Pakulski and Bruce Tranter. His scholarly work particularly focused on the theorization of social differentiation and social order in studies of everyday life. Through the critical appraisal of postmodernist approaches, he developed his own postfoundational radicalist approach that transcended the determinism of unitary meta-narratives, but also avoided relativistic and atheoretical descriptions of the plurality of 'the everyday'. Yet the everyday relevance of sociological practice was a defining feature of Steve's weltanschauung, epitomized in his professional service and role as a public intellectual.As the memoria 1 to Stephen Crook attest, he touched many lives in his roles as colleague, teacher, mentor, researcher, social theorist and professional sociologist. The decision to dedicate my Presidential Address to Steve's life work was not only to honour him, but was based in a firm belief that he had made a major impact on our discipline. His approach to blending interests in social theory with empirical research, and applying sociological knowledge to 'make a difference' are exemplars of sociological practice.Steve always urged sociologists to show the utility of sociological theory and research by engaging with issues of importance and relevance to people in their everyday lives. He was not of the 'doom and gloom' school of sociology, but rather was of the 'glass half-full' variety. For him, this did not mean breaking with sociology's radical project -of seeking out 'alternative