DOING PUBLIC SOCIOLOGY: KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE, THE THIRD MISSION, AND CRITICAL RESEARCH AGENDAS

Dr Richard A Courtney

School of Historical Studies, University of Leicester

Introduction

Third Mission & Knowledge Exchange Public Sociology and the definition of the

discipline Methodological Issues Ethnicity & Englishness Research Conclusions: The Entrepreneurial

Academic

Real world problems of jargon and buzz

What exactly is knowledge exchange and the third mission? Traditional examples are found in environmental sciences – where

universities work with third partners, exchange perspectives and knowledge to solve problems

Are there any examples in social sciences? There are numerous examples. E.g. social capital and the IMF Social Science concepts have always crossed over into the public domain in

narrative and prescriptive ways, e.g. feminism, social class, ethnicity The Third Mission is simply an institutional consolidation of these

activities Measured by ‘Impact’ – this is intangible as well as tangible Puts sociology into the market place, where the fear is that the

professionalism/critical edge of the discipline will be diluted How can sociology continue critical research agendas in a

commercialised environment, which promote rigour and professionalism?

Is Public Sociology a Buzzword? …Well, yes, it probably is! Burawoy – The object of Public Sociology is Civil Society

Critical Vs. Policy Professional Vs. Public In reality not categories but phases of practice

British (professional + policy) sociology has traditionally worked closely with the state Mostly through an underwritten Fabianism Funding opportunities mostly from the state (or the public purse as

it is now called!) No longer sustainable with the state’s fiscal ‘crisis’ – shift in

public/private boundaries Public Sociology should be about severing this link (critical)

Generating and formalising links with outside interests, e.g. Pressure groups, charities, civil society groups, and businesses…

What it means for research process The argument against public sociology is about methodological and technical

professionalism The strength of quantitative methods the ability to provide reliability, but from

reliable settings, i.e. instances where you have a priori knowledge of the whole [solid ground] E.g. in education or epidemiology Limited as they inhibit wider discovery of ‘unknown unknowns’

Change in public and private boundaries affects the ability to conduct these techniques properly

Public Sociology goes beyond the known public realm to find unexplored domains of social life [shaky ground] Not premised upon reliability, but validity Its premise is civil society, which is self-defining Creates exchange of perspectives - dialogue not prescription, Feyerabend’s

democratic model of science Old debates over methods and professionalism are now practical considerations

methodological pluralism is reality not philosophy Methodology is not the only standard of professionalism – argumentative style and

perspective is conducted in rigorous and reflexive fashion

Doctoral Research

Social class and ‘race’ relations in non-metropolitan settings Thurrock, Essex

Community study exploring associations and organisations working in and with local communities

Assemblage of the concepts was not a priori E.g. social class, whiteness, and national identity Ethnicity, blackness, and political involvement A priori knowledge came from content analysis of local

newspapers’ representation of the locality Significance of concepts discovered along the way

Shaky to solid ground through investigation

Public Sociology in Action: Englishness & Ethnicity

Most research starts with the census classifications Their shortcoming is that they only count what the state has come to be

interested in counting (influence of Professional Sociology) Englishness and the minutia of ethnic identification cannot be found in them So it needs a public sociology to explore these issues

British-Nigerians in Essex – the non-existent population Exploring myths and narratives of changing ethnic difference in local civic life

The hairdresser myth The Africans for Essex myth The deprivation = racist myth

Research findings fill the knowledge vacuum on the identity of others…[research impact]

Outcome of Public Sociology is that it increases the scope of public knowledge, not in terms of explanation, but in terms of awareness

Public sociology is not solely about civil society, but bringing the substance beyond the civil into public discourse [the sociological imagination]

Beyond Burawoy’s Public Sociology: Entrepreneurial Academic

Key PhD finding: Englishness was used as a heritage narrative distinct to whiteness and differential by social class and micro-geographic location

In what other contexts can I study these ideas, without simply doing another community study?

Look for contexts where the ideas of Englishness are being used for social and economic regeneration and to employ critical insights

The Canals – central role in social and economic regeneration, where English heritage is a key commercial resource Inter-disciplinary & Methodologically plural, sociology, history, geography, politics, etc… Multiple funding routes from public, private, and third sector organisations

Building a scene to generate interest [intangibles] to generate research funds in difficult times [tangibles]

Building your own buzz – give substance to the benign! Professionalism of Sociology is not reducible to methods, but is an aspect of

entrepreneurial practice. Founded upon research that treads new ground Founded upon the publication of research Founded upon the co-ordination of research interests, partnerships, and knowledge

exchange Public Sociology will generate ownership of The Third Mission