Writing to be Read

Some Contributing Characteristics of Sociology in the United States The nature of sociology as it is currently defined in the United States (and, as we will see, it is defined differently in other societies) militates against publishing works of great interest outside of sociology.l To begin with, the specialization that increasingly characterizes the field makes it less likely that a sociologist will be able to present a topic with the breadth that will make it attractive to general readers. Then there are the topics that sociologists choose to study. Most often, specific topics are chosen on the basis of current issues within empirical or theoretical traditions. This means that the subjects flow mainly from concerns within the discipline rather than from the larger society. As a result, much of what sociologists do does not resonate well with larger social issues and concerns. Derived from internal issues, work in sociology tends to be read almost exclusively by those in the discipline with similar interests. The irony is that sociologists routinely deal with general topics race, stratification, marriage and the family, and sc) on that are of intrinsic interest to a general audience. However, their specialized, even minute, concerns within those areas tend to prevent sociologists from exploiting this interest. In fact, given the intrinsic interest (f the discipline's subject matters, it can

Media studies · Social science · Sociology · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Sociology and Norbert Elias

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