Public Sociology As Educational Practice

Leading academics reflect on concepts and aspects of public sociology education in this perceptive collection of case studies, linked by critical dialogue between contributors. They consider publics, practices and special knowledges in the field, and go beyond academia’s boundaries to explore the purposes and targets of sociological knowledge.

Public sociology—an approach to sociology that aims to communicate with and actively engage wider audiences—has been one of the most widely discussed topics in the discipline in recent years. The Handbook of Public Sociology presents a comprehensive look at every facet of public sociology in theory and practice. It pays particular attention to how public sociology can complement more traditional types of sociological practice to advance both the analytical power of the discipline and its ability to benefit society. The volume features contributions from a stellar list of authors, including several past presidents of the American Sociological Association such as Michael Burawoy, a leading proponent of public sociology. The first two sections of the Handbook of Public Sociology look at public sociology in relation to the other three types of practice—professional, policy, and critical—with an emphasis on integrating the four types into a holistic model of theory and practice. Subsequent sections focus on issues like teaching public sociology at various levels, case studies in the application of public sociology, and the role of public sociology in special fields in the discipline. The concluding chapter by Michael Burawoy, a past president of the American Sociological Association and a leading proponent of public sociology, addresses current debates surrounding public sociology and presents a constructive vision for the future that embraces and improves upon all four types of sociology. The Handbook of Public Sociology with its examination not only of public sociology but also of how it can enhance and complement other types of practice, transcends differences in the field and will appeal to a wide range of academics, students, and practitioners.

Cutting across multiple disciplines, this book maps out a new role for the public sociologist in the post-COVID world. It envisions a new kind of public sociology that brings together “the digital” and the “physical” to create public spaces where critical scholarship and active civic engagement can meet in a mutually reinforcing way.

In 2004, Michael Burawoy challenged sociologists to move beyond the ivory tower and into the realm of activism, to engage in public discourses about what society could or should be. His call to arms sparked debate among sociologists. Which side would sociologists take? Would "public sociology" speak for all sociologists? In this volume, leading Canadian experts continue the debate by discussing their discipline's mission and practice and the role that ethics plays in research, theory, and teaching. In doing so, they offer insights as to where their discipline is heading and why it matters to people inside and outside the university.

Michael Burawoy has helped to reshape the theory and practice of sociology across the Western world. Public Sociology is his most thoroughgoing attempt to explore what a truly committed, engaged sociology should look like in the twenty-first century. Burawoy looks back on the defining moments of his intellectual journey, exploring his pivotal early experiences as a researcher, such as his fieldwork in a Zambian copper mine and a Chicago factory. He recounts his time as a graduate and professor during the ideological ferment in sociology departments of the 1970s, and explores how his experiences intersected with a changing political and intellectual world up to the present. Recalling Max Weber, Burawoy argues that sociology is much more than just a discipline – it is a vocation, to be practiced everywhere and by everyone.

During the past ten years the terms public sociology, civil society, and governance have been used with increasing frequency to describe a wide array of political and social practices. Nickel provides a critical clarification of the concepts of civil society and governance, moving beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. With her unique international background in the practice of public service and social policy Nickel is able to provide a nuanced explanation of how civil society and governance are interrelated and the implications for the organisation of knowledge and public life. The book is framed in three parts. Part one explores the emergence of public sociology as an ideal, as well as the broader public turn in the social sciences. Part two explores the changing relationship between government and civil society, including non-profit organisations. Part three draws these two themes together in an exploration of the politics of practice and relations of power.

Public Sociology features a wide-ranging discussion of the controversial model of a social science that reaches out to non-academic audiences, including both average citizens and policymakers. This approach has been greeted with enthusiasm by supporters, and with skepticism and anxiety among critics. Both perspectives are well represented in this volume. Some of the critical voices question whether public sociology is even a good idea. Others dissent, arguing for a strong program in professional sociology as an alternative. Still others express concern that public sociology promotes a liberal-left political agenda, despite its nonpartisan pretensions. Some elements of the model are queried, such as "critical sociology." Others are supportive--discussing personal experiences, the benefits of an engaged social science, and how it could take social science into a broader, global marketplace. Following an introduction by the editor, the contributions include: David Boyns and Jesse Fletcher, "Public Relations, Disciplinary Identity, and the Strong Program in Professional Sociology," Jonathan H. Turner, "Is Public Sociology Such a Good Idea?" Steven Brint, "Guide to the Perplexed," Vincent Jeffries, "Piritim A. Sorokin's Integralism and Public Sociology," Norella M. Putney, Dawn E. Alley, and Vern L. Bengston, "Social Gerontology as Public Sociology in Action," Edna Bonacich, "Working with the Labor Movement: A Personal Journey in Organic Public Sociology," Christopher Chase-Dunn, "Globabl Public Social Science," Neil McLauglin, Lisa Kowalchuk, and Kerry Turcotte, "Why Sociology Does Not Need to be Saved," Michael Burawoy, "Third-Wave Sociology and the End of Pure Science," Patricia Madoo Lengerman and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley, "Back to the Future: Settlement Sociology, 1885�-1930," Sean McMahon, "From the Platform: Public Sociology in the Speeches of Edward A. Ross," Chet Ballard, "The Origin and Early History of the Association for Humanist Sociology," and Robert Prus, "The Intellectual Canons of Public Sociology."

As social media is increasingly becoming a standard feature of sociological practice, this timely book rethinks the role of these mediums in public sociology and what they can contribute to the discipline in the post-COVID world. It reconsiders the history and current conceptualizations of what sociology is, and analyzes what kinds of social life emerge in and through the interactions between ‘intellectuals’, ‘publics’ and ‘platforms’ of communication. Cutting across multiple disciplines, this pioneering work envisions a new kind of public sociology that brings together the digital and the physical to create public spaces where critical scholarship and active civic engagement can meet in a mutually reinforcing way.