Theorizing Citizenship: A Case for a Sociology of Human Persons in a Global Context

• In Event: Theory Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 3

Abstract

This paper calls for making citizenship central to theorizing in sociology. Centering citizenship would allow us to better understand the social forces that shape human experiences across the globe. Citizenship-based distinctions are implicated in most if not all issues sociologists care about, for example inequality, wellbeing, rights, justice, power, institutions, culture, and social change. To facilitate theorizing that centers citizenship, I offer several theorizing strategies. Global social positioning, for one, a theoretical extension of standpoint theorizing, involves situating a set of experiences in a global context and problematizes any position from which knowledge is produced. The paper identifies three types of theorizing and organizes theorizing strategies under each type. We can theorize (1) to reconstitute our explanations or understandings of empirical phenomena (the most common type); (2) to develop understandings about the tools we use to theorize, including understandings of scholars/observers, research methods, and logical operations (less common); and (3) to change how we perceive reality (probably the most difficult type).

Author

• Ana Velitchkova, University of Mississippi