I love the hyphenated power of sociology: sociology of work, technology, knowledge, cities, emotions, culture, organizations, risk, and time. Each hyphen broadens the view, reflecting all social issues and related disciplines. Sociology has become a compass in my life (see also my Compass series).

Sociology has never been “just” a science. Even the classics combined practical social perspectives with it:

Weber’s ideal types are bridge models (Weber 1922/1980), Simmel’s “interactions” reveal micro and macro orders (Simmel 1908/1992), Durkheim’s collective ecstasies demonstrate the social power of rituals (Durkheim 1912/2001). Modern and postmodern approaches continue this tradition – from Bourdieu’s field and habitus logic (Bourdieu 1992) to Goffman’s stages (Goffman 1959) and Foucault’s power/knowledge (Foucault 1977) to Rosa’s resonance (Rosa 2016), Butler’s performativity (Butler 1990), Fraser’s counter-publics (Fraser 1990), and Latour’s actor-networks (Latour 1991/1995). Hyphens are not just labels; they are a method of connecting, thinking through, and reflecting.

Reflexive sociology

Bourdieu’s reflexive sociology urges us to consider our own position (Bourdieu 2001); Mead’s symbolic interactionism reminds us to always consider others as well (Mead 1973); Haraway reminds us of situated knowledge (Haraway 1988). In practice, this means that I write in the first person, mark my perspective, and turn the hyphenated collage into a methodical dialogue rather than eclecticism. Well, that sentence sounds almost a little Luhmann-like (1987).

Method

I originally come from the quantitative-statistical world of sociology. It was only with my dissertation that I rediscovered grounded theory as a qualitative method. And since AI has made it possible to evaluate, systematize, and code virtually unlimited amounts of qualitative data, I have been working with it passionately and iteratively. I let categories grow out of the empirical material—the subject of research is the subject, not the object—and link qualitative “deep drilling” with digital/literal scans. The power of the hyphen is thus not only aesthetic theory, but also practical and thus socially relevant research design. (Glaser & Strauss 1967; Charmaz 2014).

Literature

Bourdieu, P. (1992). Die feinen Unterschiede: Kritik der gesellschaftlichen Urteilskraft. Suhrkamp. (Suhrkamp Verlag)

Bourdieu, P. (2001). Science de la science et réflexivité. Raisons d’agir. (raisonsdagir-editions.org)

Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge. (Routledge)

Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing Grounded Theory (2nd ed.). Sage. (collegepublishing.sagepub.com)

Durkheim, É. (2001). Die elementaren Formen des religiösen Lebens. Suhrkamp. (Original 1912). (Suhrkamp Verlag)

Foucault, M. (1977). Überwachen und Strafen. Suhrkamp. (Suhrkamp Verlag)

Fraser, N. (1990). Rethinking the Public Sphere. Social Text, 25/26, 56–80. (JSTOR)

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Aldine. (Taylor & Francis)

Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday. (Google Bücher)

Habermas, J. (1992). Faktizität und Geltung. Suhrkamp. (Suhrkamp Verlag)

Haraway, D. (1988). Situated Knowledges. Feminist Studies, 14(3), 575–599. (JSTOR)

Latour, B. (1995). Wir sind nie modern gewesen. Suhrkamp. (Frz. 1991). (Suhrkamp Verlag)

Lefebvre, H. (1991). The Production of Space. Blackwell. (Frz. 1974). (wiley.com)

Luhmann, N. (1984). Soziale Systeme. Suhrkamp. (Suhrkamp Verlag)

Luhmann, N. (2000). Organisation und Entscheidung. Westdeutscher Verlag. (SpringerLink)

Rosa, H. (2016). Resonanz: Eine Soziologie der Weltbeziehung. Suhrkamp. (Suhrkamp Verlag)

Santos, B. de S. (2024*). The End of the Cognitive Empire. Duke University Press. (*Erstauflage 2018; Verlagsseite führt die Publikation seit 2018.) (dukeupress.edu)

Simmel, G. (1992). Soziologie: Untersuchungen über die Formen der Vergesellschaftung. Suhrkamp. (Original 1908). (PUB Bielefeld)

Simmel, G. (1995). Die Großstädte und das Geistesleben. In Aufsätze und Abhandlungen. Suhrkamp. (Original 1903). (Projekt Gutenberg)

Weber, M. (1980). Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (5. Aufl.). Mohr Siebeck. (Original 1922). (Unifr Admin)