Making trouble in, for, and with “the canon” – Towards a sociology of possibilities

• In Event: 2162 - History of Sociology/Social Thought: The Problematic Influence of the American Canon

Abstract

In this essay, using the book Sociological Theory Beyond the Canon by Syed Farid Alatas
and Vineeta Sinha as anchor point and grouping a series of other books around it in what
is considered a “lateral movement” towards a sociology of possibilities, the current state of
sociology as a discipline, its canon, and its ontological commitments are criticized. In
taking issue with “the canon”, the essay/review makes a case for engaging in sociologies
otherwise, which is not a “sacrifice” of robustness, resilience, or validity, but for sociology,
by looking at its own roots and genealogy, getting beyond them and back to actually “doing
something”. Sociology, in other words, can be descriptive or interpretative, but it must also
be generative.

Author

• Alexander I. Stingl, University of Warwick