Sociologists and Social Progress How Defeating Narratives Affect U.S. and Caribbean Sociological Academies

by Miller, O. Alexander

• ISBN13: 9780739138786
• ISBN10: 0739138782
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-12-18
• Publisher: Lexington Books

Summary

This book utilizes narratives from U.S. and Caribbean scholars to examine the viability of sociologists changing the world from below through sporadic interdependent networks (Piven 2008). The conclusion reached is that in its current state, the academy can do little to improve conditions in society, as sociologists are themselves embattled by defeating narratives revolving around: poor personal experiences; the recalcitrance of Old World history; European epistemological meta-narratives, and; the multi-paradigmatic criteria for determining sociological knowledge. If sociologists are to finally influence society then the academy has to first overcome its calcified European and Anglo-American principles of domination.