Section News N ewsletter Fe atures •Theory Section Miniconference •Space & Social T heory •Book and Journal Announcements • W iller R esponds to Turner •Call for Papers •Marx on Globalization THE ASA April 2002r THEORY SECTION NEWSLETTER Perspectives VOLUME 25, NUMBER 2r Message from the Chair Section Officers CHAIR Theory Section Miniconference: Gary Alan Fine Sociological Theory and Empirical CHAIR-ELECT Research Linda D. Molm Gary Alan Fine, Northwestern University PAST CHAIR Douglas Heckathorn nce again at the 2002 Chicago ASA meetings the Theory Section will sponsor its now traditional mini-conference. This year the section has SECRETARY-TREASURER Oarranged three sessions dealing with “Sociological Theory and Empirical Murray Webster Research,” an important and somewhat controversial topic. Often sociologists per- ceive - justly or not - a grand divide between scholars who do “research” and those COUNCIL who are “theorists” (sometimes denigrated as “only theorists”). Such a claim is like Robert J. Antonio many claims both partly true and partly (mostly?) false. Some theorists focus on Jorge Arditi reading texts (which, too, might be considered research) and others synthesize their worldly experience in webs of subtle argumentation without a narrowly defined Edward J. Lawler research topic or “site.” In fact, theorists in general and members of the section in Cecilia L. Ridgeway particular are deeply and prominently involved in empirical research endeavors. The Robin Stryker methodologies selected range across the full range of methodologies used by those Robin Wagner-Pacifici who do not claim the label of theorist: whether they, too, are theorists is a question best held for other venues. SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY EDITOR See MINICONFERENCE on page 2 Jonathan Turner When Cultures Collide: Marx’s Notes PERSPECTIVES EDITORS on Globalization J. David Knottnerus & Jean Van Delinder David N. Smith, University of Kansas umors of Marx’s intellectual death have flown freely in the nearly twelve Submit news and commentary to: decades since his physical demise, at the age of 64, in 1883. And just as often, R Marx’s disciples call these rumors exaggerated. J. David Knottnerus and Jean Van Delinder New cycles in this debate often pivot around new texts. As early as 1898, not long Department of Sociology after the unfinished third volume of Capital appeared, the eminent socialist Eduard CLB 006 Bernstein argued that the very incompleteness of Marx’s work testified “eloquently” Oklahoma State University to its inadequacy. Rosa Luxemburg, among others, objected. But fresh evidence on Stillwater, OK 74078-4062 the subject remained scarce until the 1920s, when a new cycle of debate was spurred (see inside for phone, fax, & e-mail) by the triumph of Social Democracy in Germany and Bolshevism in Russia. Now See MARX on page 7 Page 2 Perspectives MINICONFERENCE from page 1 cratic method of interrogating theory was I contend that empirical research is and an approach that I found compelling, if Journal should be central to the doing of theory. filled with challenge and some measure To this end, I have requested that three of intellectual danger. Add to this, the fact Announcement of our prominent members - Michele that my father was a Freudian analyst, and Lamont, Murray Webster, and James Rieff’s Freud: The Mind of the Moralist and The Responsive Community: Chriss organize sessions on the linkage of The Triumph of the Therapeutic were person- Rights and Responsibilities sociological theory and empirical research. ally liberating texts. As theorists, we are Michele Lamont has organized a panel continually in danger of forgetting our The Responsive Community: Rights and that deals with qualitative and historical brilliant colleagues, and it is our responsi- Responsibilities is offering a special research traditions and their relationship bility to insure that the contributions of subscription rate to readers of the to theory. Murray Webster’s panel covers past generations are not erased: a mes- Perspectives Newsletter—a one-year formal, mathematical, and experimental sage that our students will do well to re- subscription for $20, or a two-year research. Jim Chriss has selected the pa- call. subscription for $30. The regular pers that were contributed for our open prices are $27 and $48, respectively. session into a general session on theory “Mini-Conference I: Sociological and research. As is usual in this case, he Theory and Empirical Research: The Responsive Community is an received many more fine papers than Qualitative Approaches” intellectual quarterly journal which could be accommodated, and so the Chair: Michele Lamont, Princeton Uni- tackles a wide range of social, Theory Section Roundtables, organized versity moral and legal issues, typically by Jorge Arditi, include some of the over- Papers: from a communitarian viewpoint. flow on the same theme. “Evidence and the Explanation of Ac- Articles in recent issues include: Jean tion” - Richard Biernacki, University Bethke Elshtain on the just war While the mini-conference is as diverse as of California at San Diego and the tradition, Amitai Etzioni on might be expected, given the member- Center for Advanced Research in the legislating morality, Amy Goldstein ship of the section, and while some Behavioral Sciences and Roberto Suro on assimilation speakers talk about the theory of meth- “Manufacturing Numbers” - Wendy Nel- in American society, Laurence Tribe odology and others present empirical re- son Espeland, Northwestern Univer- on a constitutional response to search, the central thrust about the rela- sity, and Mitchell L. Stevens, Hamilton terrorism, and Alan Wolfe on the tionship between theory and empirical College future of American society. social science is sure to raise critical ques- “Categories and Criteria of Evaluation tions that theorists of all perspectives can of Research Proposals in the Social Sci- For more information about the debate. ences and the Humanities.” - Michele journal, feel free to visit our website Lamont, Joshua Guetzkow and Gre- at In addition to the three mini-conference goire Mallard, Princeton University panels, I have arranged a fourth panel, “On Poems, Novels, and Numbers: A http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/rcq “Theorizing Morality: Assessing the Con- Study of Bourgeois Virtues.” - Deirdre tributions of Philip Rieff.” I admit to N. McCloskey, University of Illinois at To receive a sample issue, or for some measure of special pleading in this Chicago more information about ordering selection in that Rieff was my theory Discussant: Margaret R. Somers, Univer- The Responsive Community, please teacher while I was an undergraduate at sity of Michigan contact Deirdre Mead at the University of Pennsylvania. His So- See MINICONFERENCE on page 4 [email protected] or 202-994- Perspectives is the newsletter of the Theory Section of the American Sociological 3008 and be sure to mention this Association. It is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. The announcement in the Perspectives deadline for all submissions is the fifth day of the month before publication. Newsletter. Or send a check We welcome news and commentary as well as announcements about confer- payable to The Responsive Community, ences, journal information, calls for papers, position openings, and any other along with your mailing address information of interest to section members. and a copy of this announcement to The Responsive Community, Send submissions to: J. David Knottnerus and Jean Van Delinder, Department of 2130 H Street NW, Suite 703, Sociology, CLB 006, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078-4062; fax Washington, DC 20052. (405) 744-5780; phone (405) 744-6106 (Knottnerus) or (405) 744-4613 (Van Delinder); e-mail [email protected] or [email protected] Perspectives Page 3 same goal—to be a methodology for a important component of the social pro- So What Did theoretically driven sociology. Neverthe- cess of science is theory competition. Just less, examining these works clearly shows as in competitive markets, there is an “in- Happen To that all worked independently. None built visible hand” working in theory compe- Scientific on others. In fact, many of these authors tition. Certainly science advances best never met. For example, I know most if when there is a love of truth. But it will Sociology? not all who are developing and testing also advance when private ambition pro- formal theory in sociology, but, of my duces the public good of better and bet- David Willer, University of South Carolina eleven fellow theory constructors above, ter theory. In spite of some rather bad to this day I have met only three. Twelve philosophzing about science that will re- n the January issue of Perspectives, Jon authors working separately does not a main unnamed here, there is no mystery Turner asked, “What has happened movement make. how and why theory competition works. I to Scientific Sociology” including the Science is the enterprise that explains and, “theory construction movement” of the Nevertheless, there is a movement for the when possible, predicts. Competition fur- 1970s (2002:4). Jon cites six trends “that development of sociology as a science thers that enterprise by selecting theories present roadblocks to scientific sociol- and it can be dated quite precisely to that are free of contraction. Theories that ogy” (2002:7): 1) hyper-differentiation of August 1988 when the first annual Group are broader in scope and more precise the field, 2) the anti-science movement, Process conference was hosted at Emory are selected over those which are less so. 3) political correctness, 4) worship of the University by Linda Molm and Karen Were there two logically consistent the- masters, 5) introductory texts frozen in Hegtvedt. Since that time, Group Process ories of equal scope and precision, then 1948 sociology, 6) perpetuation of unre- has been held just before or just after the the more parsimonious is preferred. solved debates. American Sociological Association meet- ings each year with larger and larger num- If it is a mark of the maturity of a science Reprehensible these trends may be, but, bers participating.