50859 - Public Sociology in a Time of War and Genocide

Description

The legacy of Michael Burawoy’s public sociology—which advocated for active engagement between sociological research and public discourse—has profoundly shaped how social scientists approach our discipline. Burawoy’s untimely passing this year marks a significant loss, but his vision remains more relevant than ever. While his work influenced various subfields, its application to the study of contemporary global conflicts and humanitarian crises remains particularly salient yet under-theorized. Yet, the urgency of public sociology has never been more evident in these times.

This panel examines how sociologists have answered Burawoy’s call by engaging directly with pressing issues of war, genocide, and forced displacement through their scholarship and public interventions. As scholars witness unprecedented humanitarian crises—from Gaza to militarized borders, and from suppression of dissent to resurgent imperialism worldwide—the need for sociological perspectives that bridge academic analysis and public discourse becomes increasingly crucial. Recent protests on Gaza at colleges and universities and calls for academics to take a collective stand in their various professional associations have demonstrated that public sociology offers not only analytical frameworks for understanding these conflicts but also pathways for meaningful intervention and activism. This panel asks: How can and have sociologists effectively engaged with public discourse and action around contemporary conflicts? This panel will provide an opportunity for scholars to discuss the linkage between the academic study of peace and active participation in it that has been central to the development of the field. It will also highlight papers that incorporate critical, decolonial, and intersectional perspectives in their analysis of these issues.

Sub Unit

• Section on Peace, War, and Social Conflict / Section on Peace, War and Social Conflict Invited Panel

Presider

• Benjamin Steinhardt Case, Arizona State University

Panelists

• Eman Abdelhadi, University of Chicago

• Heba Gowayed, CUNY-Hunter College

• Veda Hyunjin Kim, Ohio Wesleyan University

• Theresa Rocha Beardall, University of Washington

Session Organizers

• Sharon Quinsaat, Grinnell College

• Syeda Quratulain Masood, Hamline University

• Marian Azab, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

• Luisa Fernanda Delgado Mejia, Boston University