Teaching Sociology as Vocation

• In Event: 30882 - Reimagining the Future of Teaching Sociology

Abstract

Sociology today faces three interconnected crises. The first is an institutional crisis rooted in the shifting landscape of higher education. After the significant expansion of public institutions in the mid-to-late 20th century, decades of austerity have eroded the financial stability of many public institutions while many private colleges grapple with declining enrollments. In this precarious climate, sociology programs are often the first on the chopping block. The second is a political crisis with two key dimensions: the enduring tension within the discipline between sociology as activism vs sociology as science, and the increasing politicization of sociology as a target in the conservative backlash against DEI. Lastly, the discipline is contenting with a pedagogical crisis shaped by a combination of disruptive forces, including the rise of AI, evolving post-COVID student expectations, and growing resistance to student-centered approaches to teaching.

These crises call for a critical examination of sociology in contemporary higher education and society. How should we navigate the tensions within the discipline while addressing the pressures from without? Above all, what does it mean to teach sociology as a vocation in these unsettled times?

Author

• Michel Estefan, University of California-San Diego