Sociology for Our Times

Abstract

The remarks I prepared for this occasion are not intended to be a scholarly dissertation that will break new ground, or roll back the frontiers of sociological knowledge. What I have in mind is a kind of informal homily, a conversation among ourselves as southern sociologists who are enthusiastic about our life's career, supportive of our professional organization, but most of all concerned about the people who are the subject and content of the sociological enterprise. For ourselves we worry about the shrinkage of the academic marketplace, about retrenchmenrt of research funds, about more employment opportunities in noncampus settings. But we worry also about a wealthy society in which people are unemployed and hungry and homeless, about a democratic society where there is still vast injustice and violence and discrimination. In all my communication with members, officers and subcommittees of sss,I tried to bring alive this year's theme: for Our Times, and I came to the realization that subtle changes have occurred in our Society. We have gradually switched from a campus-centered association of sociologists to a federation of special interest groups. The program of this annual meeting lists special group sessions for the Radical Caucus, the Clinical Sociology Association, Sociology in Small Colleges, Association for Humanist Sociology, Sociologists for Women in Society, and Policy Research and Application. All the committees I appointed this year are representative of the subcategories: noncampus sociologists, women, minorities and members from small colleges. When I look back at the annual programs over the years I see that our concerns have evolved. In the early years we paid most attention to race and minorities: then the emphasis shifted to women's liberation, where it is still strong, and this year it is predominantly on noncampus sociologists who are in for-profit employment. The activities of special interest sociologists are recognized in the number of sessions listed on the program as being cosponsored by sws, by clinical sociologists, by radicals, by small college groups.