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Sociological Turn-Taking

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Abstract

Three possible forms of progress are considered: the emergence of new fields of study, the adoption of new theoretical perspectives and the contribution of certain celebrated scholars. The problem with the first is that “new” fields of study often turn to be new in name only, while also not necessarily focused on addressing core issues. The problem with most “turns” is that they are the result of outside influences, while also involving a loss as well as a gain in significant insights. Also, new theoretical frameworks can only really count as “progress” if they are incorporated into the discipline’s mainstream. Finally, the work of four prominent sociologists—collectively identified as canonical—is considered, concluding that the work of two of these might possibly be considered, in time, as constituting progress.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See attacks on postmodernism by Gellner (1992) and Goldthorpe (2000).

  2. 2.

    Whether this actually warrants describing as a distinct “turn” is debatable, especially given that, as John Scott notes, these theories have “gone little beyond the important insights of George Homans”, as formulated in his 1961 work, Social Behaviour (2006, p. 172).

  3. 3.

    See Campbell (2007, chapter 11).

  4. 4.

    The significance of evolutionary theory in the early development of sociology in Britain is outlined by Renwick (2014).

  5. 5.

    While this may seem a sensible strategy, I fear that it may simply result in reinforcing a certain ethnocentrism in students, something an exposure to a wide variety of types of society could well help to off-set.

  6. 6.

    See Campbell (1996).

  7. 7.

    Other possible candidates for canonical status could be Garry Runciman, Norbert Elias or Michael Mann, or even Manuel Castells and his concept of a network society (2000). But—in the latter case—see the critique by Abell and Reyniers (2000).

  8. 8.

    See https://scholar.google.com/citations?mauthors=label%3Asociology&hl=en&view_op=search_authors.

  9. 9.

    See Hamermesh and Pfann (2011).

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  1. University of York, York, UK

    Colin Campbell

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Campbell, C. (2019). Sociological Turn-Taking. In: Has Sociology Progressed?. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19978-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19978-4_8

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-19977-7

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