Sociology of the Good Society

What Would Our Science Look Like if We Focused on Solutions Rather Than Problems?

One of my criticisms of academic sociology is that is focuses relentlessly on dysfunction. I’ve often thought my discipline is more akin to a Museum of Horrors rather than a broad inquiry into social life. I am not alone. Many sociologists, including some on the Left, have long worried that we’re a science of social problems, not a science of social solutions. Philip Cohen, for example, has documented that the ASA, discipline’s main professional society, has more and more focused on racism, gender discrimination, and poverty.

Why is this an issue? The reason is that the major story of modernity is a story of improvement. The normal state of humanity is misery. Read history books and you’ll find countless tales of imperialism and destruction. What’s amazing about modernity is that it is the first time ever that billions of people have been lifted out of poverty and that many more people live in humane and stable democracies. Yet, that’s not sociology’s message about modern life.

The alternative is to start articulating a sociological discourse built around different ideas. Specifically, we need a sociology of the Good that focuses on genuine human improvement, even while admitting improvements aren’t evenly distributed and that life is far from perfect. What would be candidates for Good Things for this happy new sociology to focus on?

Here are my nominations:

• Wealth - Sociologists should understand how culture and social structure lead to material improvements. This could focus on macro-level transformations such as the Industrial Revolution or micro-level processes such as business growth or personal wealth accumulation.

• Tolerance and civility - Sociologists should understand the conditions that lead people to not ruthlessly attack each other. This could be done through studies of free speech, racial and gender diversity, and religious toleration.

• Good Governance - Sociologists should understand how societies develop rules that allow people to interact and resolve grievances in productive ways. This could be done through the analysis of democracies, corporations, and non-profit coops.

Are there sociologists who study these topics? Sure, some do, but they’re a small slice of the profession and the top journals and presses focus on dysfunction. For example, check out the list of “Best book of the year” from ASA and you’ll see lots of great books, but they’re almost always in the dysfunction category (e.g., books on racial capitalism, protest repression, abused and enslaved domestic workers, fiscal austerity, AIDS, and more).

But if we just start with a new question, we can generate a new and incredibly rewarding sociology. Isn’t it amazing that I am not hideously poor like my mother was? Or that I suffer political persecution like my friends who grew in socialist nations? Or that the teachers and police officers in my town are actually pretty good at their jobs and don’t want bribes? The major task of sociology is to ask where the Good Society comes from.

Bottom Line: Ask a new question, get a new answer.

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