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Showing papers by "Bryan S. Turner published in 2021"



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Journal of Classical Sociology (JCS) as mentioned in this paper has published a special issue of its 20th anniversary special issue dedicated to the decolonization of academia, with a focus on the role of classical sociology in Europe and beyond, drawing attention to its continuing presence in British and Anglo-American intellectual circles.
Abstract: This article provides an introduction to the 20th Anniversary Special Issue of the Journal of Classical Sociology. It begins with some brief observations on the key developments that have shaped the disciplinary core of sociology over the past decades. It goes on to reflect on the role of classical sociology in Europe and beyond, drawing attention to its continuing presence in British and Anglo-American intellectual circles. Far from existing in a bubble of academic ivory towers, the paradigms emerging from disputes in the social sciences in general and in sociology in particular are profoundly shaped by wider historical trends – notably those influenced by different forms of collective action, as illustrated in the impact of social movements on the university sector in the late 1960s. In light of recent calls for ‘the decolonization of academia’, we ask to what extent sociology can, and should, strive to go beyond the hegemony of the ‘Western’ canon. Having given a succinct overview of the 20-year history of JCS, we elucidate the different formats of the material published in the journal, stressing the importance of editorial flexibility. On a more substantive note, we point out that the thematic scope of the work published in JCS has been wide-ranging and inclusive – not only because of its editors’ broad conception of ‘classics’ and ‘classicality’, but also because of the interdisciplinary spirit permeating the journal. This commitment, as we explain, manifests itself in the wide range of thinkers and topics discussed – from a multiplicity of perspectives – in the journal. We also grapple with noteworthy challenges posed by the academic publishing industry in the early 21st century, including the difficulties arising from peer-review processes. Finally, we express our gratitude to those who have contributed to this 20th Anniversary Special Issue and emphasize the journal’s commitment to defending the legacy of classical sociology.

4 citations


Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: A brief historical overview of the recent history of the sociology of Islam can be found in this paper, with a modest proposal for the integration of the study of Islam into the main body of comparative and historical sociology paying attention to the legacies of Marshall G. Hodgson's The Venture of Islam, Karl Jasper's work in the so-called Axial Age religions, and Robert Bellah's Religion in Human Evolution.
Abstract: The chapter provides a brief historical overview of the recent history of the sociology of Islam. Unlike the historical and anthropological study of Islam, the sociology of Islam had a late start around the middle of the last century. The study of Islam has been controversial being heavily influenced by political events in the West such as 9/11, the invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of ISIS. Much of the debate has been dominated by Edward Said’s influential Orientalism (1978). Although Said’s work offered an important critique of western understanding of the Orient, his focus was primarily on the humanities rather than social science. I call more recent scholarship ‘Post-Orientalism’, because it includes the study Islamic communities in the West and not only the Middle East and Asia. Indeed Islam is now studied as a global religion. However, much of the sociological research has been concentreated on examples of Islamophobia. I refer to this research as advocacy rather than science in part because it obscures the many examples of successful Muslim communites in the secular West. I conclude with a modest proposal for the integration of the study of Islam into the main body of comparative and historical sociology paying attention to the legacies of Marshall G.S. Hodgson’s The Venture of Islam, Karl Jasper’s work in the so-called Axial Age religions, and Robert Bellah’s Religion in Human Evolution.

2 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article characterised the 2013-2014 bankruptcy of Detroit as a fiscal "state of exception" which undermined the democratic foundatio... critical scholarship has characterized the bankruptcy of the city as a state of exception.
Abstract: Critical scholarship has characterised the 2013–2014 bankruptcy of Detroit – the largest municipal bankruptcy in history – as a fiscal ‘state of exception’ which undermined the democratic foundatio...

1 citations



Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: The authors compare the foundation events of Islam and Christianity, arguing that these historical beginnings had long-term effects on the evolution of "good behaviour" in Islam and Christendom, and argue that Islamic norms of piety have been amplified in modern times, while in the secular West they have become informal.
Abstract: This chapter compares the foundation events of Islam and Christianity, arguing that these historical beginnings had long-term effects on the evolution of “good behaviour” in Islam and Christianity. Christianity as a global movement was the creation of Saint Paul, because Christ claimed ‘my kingdom is not of this earth’. Why discipline behaviour if the world is ending? By contrast the Prophet Muhammad created a state through the constitution of Medina. While Islamicate norms of conduct are comprehensive and plentiful, the norms of civilization in the West (following the sociology of Norbert Elias) came later, with Erasmus, and were primarily secular. In modern times, Islamic norms of piety have been amplified, while in the secular West they have become informal.