Sociology in the 1990s

Redox stability of SOFC: Thermal analysis of Ni–YSZ composites

“…The colour of the re-oxidised samples turns from light green at 990°C gradually into darker green when reducing the re-oxidation temperature; the sample re-oxidised at 617°C is almost gray. This colour effect has also been reported in [6], and a possible explanation is substoichiometry in NiO depending on the oxidation temperature, and a related change in defect-induced optical absorption [34]. Another possible explanation could be a change in the grain size or surface morphology of the NiO depending on the re-oxidation temperature.…”

Grassroots sociology and the future of the discipline

“…They are concerned about the values of their professors and the effect that these values have on the teaching environment. Such concerns echo discussions in the literature (Becker and Rau, 1992;Lynch et al, 1993;Watson, 1982). Most importantly, many students are interested in sociology, but question what they can do with a sociology degree.…”

“…Our traditional concern for social issues is a third source of pressure. As a consequence of the discipline's apparent break with the sociological tradition (Klein, 1982;Fichter, 1984;Becker and Rau, 1992), sociologists have not moved into applied areas in large numbers, nor have they taken an active role in consulting about social problems and issues in the community. Public perceptions, increased concern from the community about academic accountability, and disciplinary concerns about the role of sociology in society, point toward a need for more involvement with the community and the larger society.…”

Does the death of the sociology of deviance claim make sense?

“…Sociology: no longer "thinks big" (Patterson 2002); is guilty, as we saw, of giving away its best ideas to other fields (Best 2001); isn't scientific enough (Cole 2001); is too scientific, that is, attempts to ape the natural sciences and in so doing, refuses to accept a "postmodernist" turn (Ellis and Bochner 2001); is insufficiently multicultural (Henry 2001) ; has become so fragmented and specialized within subfields that it lacks a disciplinary core (Becker and Rau 1992). There are nearly as many views on the matter as critics, and some of these diagnoses directly contradict one another.…”