Disciplinary Futures: Sociology in Conversation with American, Ethnic, and Indigenous Studies

Reimagines how race, ethnicity, imperialism, and colonialism can be central to social science research and methods, particularly from the influence of disciplines of American, Ethnic, and Indigenous Studies. Offers concrete pathways for how the social sciences can expand from the limiting frameworks they traditionally use to study race and racism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2023
Publisher: New York University Press

The impact of colonialism, imperialism, racism, and ethnicism on social science research and methodologies is a topic of increasing interest and importance. In Disciplinary Futures, a collection of essays by scholars from various disciplines, including American, Ethnic, and Indigenous Studies, the authors argue that these paradigms can be central to understanding the complex social structures and dynamics that shape our world.

The essays in Disciplinary Futures offer concrete pathways for how the social sciences can expand from the limiting frameworks they traditionally use to study race and racism. These frameworks often rely on the black-white binary, the privileging of the nation-state, the fixation on the US mainland, the underappreciation of post- and settler-colonial studies, the liberal assumptions, and the limited conception of what constitutes data. By challenging these frameworks, the contributors to Disciplinary Futures reveal that sociology has many useful questions, methodologies, and approaches to offer scholars of American, Ethnic, and Indigenous Studies.

One of the key themes of the book is the importance of decolonizing social science research and methodologies. The authors argue that colonialism and imperialism have created a hierarchical structure that privileges Western knowledge and perspectives, while marginalizing and erasing the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. By decolonizing research, the authors hope to create a more equitable and inclusive social science that recognizes the diversity and complexity of human experiences.

Another important theme of the book is the importance of intersectionality in social science research. The authors argue that race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and other social identities are interconnected and cannot be studied in isolation from each other. By incorporating intersectionality into research, the authors hope to better understand the complex social dynamics that shape our world and develop more effective strategies for social change.

The essays in Disciplinary Futures also offer insights into the historical and contemporary legacies of colonialism, imperialism, racism, and ethnicism. The authors explore how these systems of oppression have shaped social structures, economic systems, and political systems, and how they continue to impact marginalized communities today. By understanding these legacies, the authors hope to develop more effective strategies for resistance and transformation.

In conclusion, Disciplinary Futures is an important work that renders the disciplines of sociology and the social sciences more intellectually expansive and thus better able to tackle urgent issues of injustice. The essays in the book offer concrete pathways for how the social sciences can expand from the limiting frameworks they traditionally use to study race and racism, and they provide insights into the historical and contemporary legacies of colonialism, imperialism, racism, and ethnicism. By decolonizing research and incorporating intersectionality into research, the authors hope to create a more equitable and inclusive social science that recognizes the diversity and complexity of human experiences.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479819041