The State of Sociology

By | 5th October 2018

Sociology in the UK ought to be in a healthy state given the vast range of skills it promises to confer on its graduates. Ideally, sociology graduates are well equipped to handle all contemporary forms of information….However, it is difficult to see how these qualities are developed by some UK sociology courses. The discipline risks degenerating into grievance studies, a place for any minority group that feels disadvantaged to complain about its place in society….Is there a bigger space for a discipline that seeks to diminish the imperfections of the world rather than to overturn them? Should sociologists learn to appreciate the benefits of markets – could they be better managed rather than abolished? Can sociology be more respectful of the sentiments that give rise to cultural conservatism?

Maybe it is time for a hard look at where sociology stands on the road to Utopia. What would make it more than the glum study of a world where glasses are always half empty?

Read the article in full in the Times Higher Education 4 October 2018

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