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Why Sociology Matters

Why Sociology matters: Laurie Taylor explores the meaning and purpose of Public Sociology.

Laurie Taylor explores the meaning and purpose of public sociology with Michael Burawoy, Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley and author of a new book which describes his own contribution to reshaping the theory and practice of sociology across the Western world. He argues that social scientists should engage with the world they inhabit, rather than refusing to take positions on the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century. They're joined by Celine-Marie Pascale, Professor of Sociology at the American University, Washington, whose research advocates for, as well as describes, the daily lives of people in communities marked by poverty, racism, violence and misogyny. From Appalachia to the Standing Rock and Wind River Reservations and Oakland, California, she spoke to the self described 'struggling class'. She suggests that their stories can't be reduced to individual experience but illustrate a nation's deep economic and moral crisis and the collusion between governments and corporations that prioritise profits over people and the environment.

Producer: Jayne Egerton

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Mon 24 Jan 2022 00:15

Guests and Further Reading

Public Sociology (Polity Press)


Living on the Edge: When Hard Times Become a Way of Life (Polity Press)


Broadcasts

  • Wed 19 Jan 2022 16:00
  • Mon 24 Jan 2022 00:15

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