Becoming Sociological: Disciplinarity and a Sense of 'Home'. (October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burton, Sarah
• Other Names: Meer Nasar guest-editor.; Leonard Pauline guest-editor.; Taylor Steve guest-editor.; O'Connor Henrietta guest-editor.; Offer John guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Sociology. Volume 50:Number 5(2016:Oct.)
• Page Start: 984
• Page End: 992
• Publication Date: 2016-10
• Subjects: audit -- belonging -- discipline -- home -- intellectual -- sociological imagination -- sociology -- stories; Sociology -- Periodicals; Sociology -- Periodicals; Sociologie -- Périodiques; Sociologie; Electronic journals; 301.05
• DOI: 10.1177/0038038516629910
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-0385

Abstract

This short reflective piece uses the concept of 'home' to explore sociology as an intellectual and disciplinary pursuit. Drawing on autobiographical reflections and ethnographic study of sociology writing, I consider some of the trajectories of academics into sociology and what these tell us about the discipline itself. In light of increasing incursions by audit culture and marketisation of academia, Holmwood has drawn attention to a lack of clear internal identity as being 'sociology's misfortune' – that sociology loses out, and is weakened by lacking theories and methodologies specific to the discipline. This essay takes a more optimistic view of sociology's position, and instead argues that it is this very ambiguity which keeps the discipline a lively and vital space for explorations of the social.