The future of urban sociology: report of joint sessions of the British and American Sociological Associations

Beth Perry and Alan Harding

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2002, vol. 26, issue 4, 844-853

Abstract: This article reports on two joint sessions of the British and American Sociological Associations held during the course of 2001 as a first step toward more structured dialogue and debate between the two national associations. Drawing on the comments of a number of leading academics on both sides of the Atlantic, this paper presents a series of discussions about the role and future of urban sociology. It explores the challenges and opportunities offered to urban sociology by increasing interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity in the field of urban studies as a whole. It then explores the role of sociology in understanding the relationship between contemporary processes of globalization and urban change and the degree to which this constitutes a new dynamic core of sociological theory and research. The paper reveals that there are a variety of alternative futures for urban sociology and there would appear to be little agreement on one specific route, nor on how to get there. Urban sociology continues to face a variety of challenges and more debate on its future trajectory is clearly needed but it remains a vital and expanding sub–field. Cet article rend compte de deux sessions communes des associations de sociologie britannique et américaine qui ont eu lieu en 2001, premier stade vers un dialogue et un débat plus structurés entre les deux organismes nationaux. Partant des remarques d’un certain nombre de grands intellectuels des deux côtés de l’Atlantique, ce travail présente plusieurs discussions sur le rôle et l’avenir de la sociologie urbaine. Il examine les défis et possibilités que lui offrent l’interdisciplinarité et la pluridisciplinarité croissantes dans l’ensemble du domaine des études urbaines. Il explore ensuite comment la sociologie aide à comprendre la relation entre les processus contemporains de mondialisation et de changement urbain, et la mesure où peut ainsi émerger une nouvelle dynamique nodale pour la théorie et la recherche sociologiques. L’article expose plusieurs avenirs possibles de la sociologie urbaine, sans qu’il y ait apparemment d’accord sur une voie particulière ni sur le moyen d’y parvenir. La sociologie urbaine rencontre toujours de multiples défis et il faut manifestement approfondir les débats sur sa future trajectoire, mais elle demeure un sous–domaine à la fois crucial et en expansion.

Date: 2002
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International Journal of Urban and Regional Research is currently edited by Alan Harding, Roger Keil and Jeremy Seekings

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