(Re)visiting Classical Sociological Theory (Autumn 2025)

In this series, each month we will revisit a classic contribution to sociological theory, unpack its historical significance, and discuss its impact on subsequent and contemporary scholarship within and outside of the discipline. A faculty member whose work engages with the article or its subdiscipline will introduce it, discuss its contributions in the context of its era of publication, and chart its legacy on scholarship through the decades before transitioning to group discussion. Attendees are not required (but would benefit from) reading the article and are encouraged to consider how it may have influenced their own work.

“Theory is the condensation of accumulated knowledge that joins sociologists to one another; it is what makes us a community of scientists. We are theory bound.” – Michael Burawoy