The backstage of sociology: Behind the scenes with Wright Mills, Sennett and Bauman

Abstract

This article deals with how to do sociology in practice, based on the works The Sociological Imagination by Wright Mills, The Craftsman by Sennett and What Use is Sociology? by Zygmunt Bauman. In addition the author reflects on her own experience doing intellectual work as a female academic from a state university located in a province (as opposite to the capital city). The paper states that doing sociology is a kind of craftsmanship. As such it entails performing a set of practices on a daily basis, eventually building up a habit. Through practicing sociology, we are not just producing intellectual outcomes but also, we turn ourselves into sociologists: the practice of sociology is also the practice of becoming a sociologist. Nevertheless, nowadays doing sociology as a craftsmanship means to go against the tide of modern work, which is focused on productivity, efficiency, competition, and multi-tasking. Thus, whoever seeks to practice sociology as a craftsmanship will face substantive difficulties. The way to cope with those difficulties is to acknowledge craftsmanship’s underlying values.