“Sociology is a discipline that has to be ‘achieved’, or continually re-invented, in new circumstances.” – John Holmwood
Tag Archive for ‘Sociology’
Experiencing sociology’s midlife crisis?
Is it possible for an academic discipline to experience a midlife crisis? The recent exchange in the British Journal of Sociology on ‘sociology’s misfortune’ (Holmwood, 2010; Savage, 2010a; Rosenfeld, 2010) was just the most recent of a raft of work… Read More ›
Sociology@Warwick
A quick flag up to any interested readers that the Sociology Department at the University of Warwick now has a blog and twitter feed. Although Sociological Imagination has no formal connection to the department, a number of people involved in… Read More ›
Some quick thoughts about sociological realism and digital life
What do we do online? This is an issue I’ve pondered in a variety of guises but I’ve been thinking about it today as a result of running a fun (though badly attended) workshop about ‘demystifying social media’. As someone who runs… Read More ›
No nation now, but the imagination
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of C. Wright Mills’ death, Sociological Imagination pays a respectful and moving tribute to the man who gave this forum its name through the legacy of his classic 1959 book, The Sociological Imagination, a veritable manifesto for… Read More ›
Window on Research: Dave O’Brien on Cultural Consumption in Contemporary Society
This podcast discusses cultural consumption in contemporary British society, exploring who does what and why, against the backdrop of the ethos of creative workers. The cultural ‘omnivore’ thesis is outlined and critiqued, suggesting the importance of expertise, social status and… Read More ›
John Holmwood on “Sociology’s ‘moments’: C. Wright Mills and the critique of professionalism
This podcast is a recording of John Holmwood’s talk at the C. Wright Mills session from the BSA conference in April 2012. The snippet below is from the subsequent q&a session. (main podcast) (snippet)
Social Class and Life Chances as seen through Survivor Rates on the Titanic
We have just eclipsed the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic – an incredibly horrific tragedy that resulted in the deaths approximately 1,500 individuals. Astonishingly, this accounted for over two-thirds of the individuals onboard. This from the… Read More ›
Les Back on Sociology’s Promise
In this podcast Les Back discusses the enduring significance of C. Wright Mills to sociology. He mentions a (fantastic) book during his talk which we’ve embedded below. Les Back on Sociology’s Promise
Les Back: “is sociology a job or a vocation?”
A question I asked Prof Les Back from Goldsmiths College at the BSA conference last week.
The Importance of Being Ernest #1
It is difficult as sociologists to disentangle ourselves from the real world; we lose our sense of reality and become immersed in a constant state of abstract analysis. As a final year Sociology student I no longer sit and mindlessly… Read More ›
Sociology song
For a change from the Christmas tunes, here is something, ahem, serious. Professional. OK, only professional and not serious. Anyway – happy Christmas to those of you who celebrate it with this song by Tom Lehrer – an American singer-songwriter,… Read More ›
Sociological careers
So, what do sociology graduates actually do? If you are a sociology student right now, what are your most obvious career routes? Hilary Burrage offers a good overview of what sociology graduates do in Britain in 2011. We at the… Read More ›
‘You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain…’
In 1986 DC Comics published a four issue mini-series called Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. While few would have predicted it prior to its publication, this work of Frank Miller was soon regarded as one of the touchstones for the… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #2-3: Black Power Salute 1968
During their medal presentation in the Mexico 1968 Summer Olympics, the two 200-metre gold and bronze winners, Tommy Smith and John Carlos respectively (both were American and black) gave what became known as the Black Power Salute . It became an… Read More ›
SI Seminar announcement: Sociology of Sport at Warwick University, 20 June
SI Seminars: the Sociology of Sport WHEN: 20 June · 16:00 – 18:00 WHERE: R1.13, Ramphal Building, University of Warwick As part of the Sociology of Sport Week on SI, we have organized our first ever seminar! Taking place the… Read More ›
Why am I doing a PhD? By Sarah Smart
As I sit in my quiet but chaotic study, staring out of the window and wondering whether I can justify stopping for another cup of tea, I find myself wondering why I have spent the last three years doing social… Read More ›
From Journalist to Sociologist: Some Reflections
I never, ever wanted to be a journalist. But when an editor of a niche entertainment magazine about to go monthly came knocking at my door about a year and a half after receiving my bachelor’s degree, I was in… Read More ›
Review of ‘Practising Public Scholarship: Experiences and Possibilities Beyond the Academy’ Edited by Katharyne Mitchell, Wiley-Blackwell. 2008
Post-PhD, my career as a sociologist has not been a conventional one. I’ve done much of what sociologists do on a daily basis: I’ve taught in universities, conducted research projects, published scholarly articles and books, applied (sometimes successful for grants),… Read More ›
Welcome to the Sociological Imagination
This magazine stands as a consciously tentative and perhaps fleeting first step towards a much larger and longer term aim. A vague idea became a concrete plan as a result of a BSA funded day school (The Politics of Sociology) which took place at the University of Warwick in January 2010.