Institutionalizing Public Sociology: Structural Conditions, Career Incentives, and Models of Sustainable Engagement

• In Event: Innovations in Sociological Practice and Public Sociology: Open Call Paper Session

Abstract

The field of public sociology is uniquely positioned to answer the call to engage more directly with policy development, community partnerships, pedagogical innovation, institutional service, and social activism. Yet despite widespread rhetorical support, public sociology remains unevenly embedded with the formal reward structures of academic professional settings. Tenure and promotion policies continue to reward publication, citation metrics, and grant acquisition, relegating community engagement and policy contributions to the category of service. This paper examines the structural conditions under which public sociology becomes institutionalized and analyzes how university policy models shape the environment of sociological practice.

Author

• Jennifer Therrien, Western Michigan University