Uncover Hidden Gems: Sociological Insights Beyond the Mainstream
"Dive into Andrew Abbott's curated collection of overlooked sociological works, revealing diverse perspectives and challenging conventional knowledge."
For 15 years, Andrew Abbott, as editor of the American Journal of Sociology, embarked on a unique endeavor: reviewing books of his own choosing, irrespective of publication dates or conventional sociological importance. This departure from the norm led to the rediscovery of works and authors who had been largely overlooked, now compiled in 'Varieties of Social Imagination' under the pseudonym "Barbara Celarent."
This collection showcases books and authors who often fall outside the scope of typical academic journals. Many are people of color, women, or scholars from countries outside the Western world, offering perspectives that challenge and enrich our understanding of society. The compilation spans a wide array of topics, from Herbert Marcuse to Frantz Fanon, alongside U.S. empirical sociology.
Abbott's selection transcends traditional academic boundaries, encompassing political tracts, party platforms, speeches, and poems, all contributing to the "social imagination." This approach echoes Howard Becker's 'Telling about Society,' which championed fiction, art, and theater as valid realms of sociological inquiry.
A Mindful Method: Uncovering the Unseen
Abbott's method of selecting books was driven by personal engagement, sparked by recommendations, intellectual adjacency, or even the physical presence of the books themselves. This haphazard approach allowed for a broadening of intellectual horizons, avoiding the pitfalls of systematization and representative sampling. Instead, the collection reflects the lived inclinations of Abbott, influenced by his experiences at Chicago and Oxford.
- Embracing diverse perspectives, from Marxism to Catholicism.
- Searching for valuable insights across various movements and methods.
- Bracketing personal biases to allow the value of each work to shine through.
- Watchfulness against easy castigation that obscures intellectual complexity.
The Ever-Evolving Landscape of Sociology
Sociological positions are inevitably subject to obsolescence, not necessarily due to superior paradigms, but because ever-shifting contexts alter the meaning of what came before. As time reshapes our understanding, sociology finds itself in a state of transience. Abbott's curated collection reminds us of the arbitrary nature of our own understanding and the countless voices that have been muted or marginalized. By bringing these voices to light, Abbott encourages us to explore the diverse landscape of sociological thought and to continue making varieties of our own.