Sociological Dissonance and the Work of William Julius Wilson: An Appraisal

Abstract

William Julius Wilson's living legacy is unassailable. His accomplishments are many and unique, and his contributions, to and beyond academia, have established him as one among the very few "public intellectuals" whose work has informed presidential administrations, been reviewed on the pages of mainstream media outlets, and has led him to lecture from the most prestigious speaker podiums that exist. Yet a tension, a sociological dissonance, remains. It is marked by several appreciations of Professor Wilson's diverse excellence, along with many gnawing concerns about what he has written, and what symbolism, analyses, and problematic retreats from racial reckoning have been associated with his long and productive career. I consider how this dissonance is most pointedly reflected in the major works he has written and thoughtful risks he has taken with them. In dialogue with his profound career, this paper explores tensions associated with those major works and appreciates his many achievements.