Mathieu Deflem, an assistant professor of sociology at USC, has created a Web site speaking out against what he calls "an attack on sociology as an academic discipline."
Public sociology is a field of study that the American Sociological Association says "defines, promotes and informs public debate on class and racial inequalities, new gender regimes, environmental degradation, multiculturalism, technological revolutions, market fundamentalism, and state and non-state violence." It's also a term Deflem claims limits sociology to a few narrow areas of study and does not account for the complex applications it has in the real world.
A leading opponent of political activism in sociology, Deflem argues that sociology is a science that should strive toward a goal of universal knowledge instead of participation in partisan politics.
"Political issues cannot be a foundation for sociology," Deflem said. He's concerned that public sociology has infused an inherently academic field with divisive and subjective viewpoints and was popularized by figures such as Karl Marx.
Deflem criticizes the ASA for taking stances on political issues such as gay marriage and the war in Iraq. He said the Association's stated opposition to the war in Iraq is "not useful" and has a "negative impact on sociology." He says that taking such stances "narrows the scope of sociological discussion" because it alienates sociologists with opposing political views. Politics and sociology have a close relationship, he says, but the purpose of sociology is merely to "inform" politics, not to "take its place."
Deflem says he hopes to preserve the integrity of sociology as an academic discipline and has made efforts to create awareness of his goal through his Web site, www.savesociology.org, along with an Internet blog. Deflem has been published in the Chronicle Review.
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