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To: shrinkermd
Peter Berger, a very prominent sociologist, has written about the decline of sociology, and blames both politicization and the triumph of the quantifiable.

The bigger problem according to Berger is that the field originated in the need to come to terms with modernity and modernization. That accounts for Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, anomie and alienation, and so many other concepts in sociology.

Now that modernization's happened, sociologists don't have much to talk about. They can compare societies that have and haven't modernized, poaching on the anthropologists' territory perhaps, but the big picture discussions aren't as fruitful, and won't be until the next big shift in society.

The problem of politicization goes far beyond sociology. It looks to me like writing just isn't that good lately, since writers discovered sex and politics. Writers aren't sure about what's what right now, so simplified political fables provide them with something to write about.

Increasingly, though, the very idea of professional writers appropriating people's experiences has been called into question, in part because the writers have become too political, and in part because their public has.

12 posted on 02/06/2007 3:10:47 PM PST by x
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To: x
Thanks for sponsoring all those episodes of Sesame Street.
14 posted on 02/06/2007 3:13:51 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (When I search out the massed wheeling circles of the stars, my feet no longer touch the earth)
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To: x

that darn quantifable, curses, foiled again by reality (gnash teeth here)mummble,mummble,mummble


18 posted on 02/06/2007 3:41:52 PM PST by wildcatf4f3 (Find out what brand the Ethiopians are drinking and send a case to all my generals.)
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