Introduction to the Special Issue: Advancing Publicly Engaged Sociology

Abstract

Publicly engaged sociology seeks to use our research and work to engage stakeholders within and beyond the university to analyze and fight inequality or injustice, and to address other issues society faces. Sociologists who do such work help universities (and other institutions) keep their social contract to use our work to make society better. This Special Issue continues the Eastern Sociological Society's work on publicly engaged sociology, including the 2022 creation of Public Sociology Awards for Early Career and Post‐Tenure scholars, and my Presidential Address. Contributors to this volume can hopefully serve as examples to younger sociologists, because these articles describe how the authors have done excellent basic research and used it to address societal problems, and have navigated hazards of such work, including the MeSearch gaze. Contributors do publicly engaged sociological work from the most macro‐level, such as analyzing how algorithms promote division and undermine democracy or how to better disseminate sociological work to wider audiences, to work on national policies to create more equitable universities, to the local contexts, including working to promote play for elementary school students, or oust sheriffs responsible for family separation, or restore citizenship stripped from naturalized immigrants. Authors range across the spectrum of sociological careers, from current doctoral students, to postdocs, to tenured professors, to the American Sociological Association's 2024 President.