Mike Forrest Keen

Stalking the Sociological Imagination: J. Edgar Hoover's FBI Surveillance of American Sociology

Stalking the Sociological Imagination W.E.B. Du Bois: Sociologist beyond the Veil Ernest W. Burgess: Security Matter-C William Fielding Ogburn: Scientist, Statistician, Schizophrene Robert and Helen Lynd: From Middletown to Moronia E. Franklin Frazier: Enfant Terrible Pitirim A. Sorokin: Sociological Prophet in a Priestly Land No One above Suspicion: Talcott Parsons under Surveillance Testing a Concept: Herbert Blumers Loyalty Samuel Stouffer: Patriot and Practitioner Our Man in Havana: C. Wright Mills Talks, Yankee Listens The Crimefighter and the Criminologist: The Case of Edwin H. Sutherland and J. Edgar Hoover Conclusion Bibliography Index

The freedom of information act and sociological research

Passed in 1966, The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided nearly thirty years of access to government information virtually unmatched throughout the world. Used heavily by the media, it has been virtually ignored by sociologists. Nonetheless, it promises access to a potential wealth of data for sociological research. Following a brief discussion of the history of federal information policy and the FOIA, some suggestions for possible research applications are made. Implications for further research are presented, including the emergence of two new classes, information “haves” and information “have-nots,” indicating a new dimension for stratification research in contemporary society.

Eastern Europe in transformation : the impact on sociology

Preface Eastern Europe and Its Sociology by Mike Forrest Keen and Janusz Mucha The Metamorphoses of Russian Sociology by Gennady S. Batygin and Inna F. Deviatko Dialectics of Systemic Constraint and Academic Freedom: Polish Sociology Under Socialist Regime by Wladyslaw Kwasniewicz The Sociology of Reformist Socialism: The Hungarian Model by Attila Becskehazi and Tibor Kuczi Sociology as Promise and Reality: The Bulgarian Experience by Nikolai Genov Continuity and Discontinuity in Romanian Sociology by Stefan Costea Ups and Downs in Czech Sociology by Eduard Urbanek Sociology in Slovakia: Fiction or Reality by Jan Pasiak and Ladislav Machacek East German Sociology: Between the Production of Weltanschauung, Ideological Adaptation, and Empirical Social Research by Dagmar Simon and Vera Sparschuh The Development of Sociology as a Contested Science in Post-World War II Yugoslavia by Sergej Flere Modern Slovenian Sociology by Maca Jogan Sociology as a Mirror of Croatian Society by Josip Obradovic Sociology of Science as the Science of Sociology in Ukraine by Viacheslav Kudin Three Decades of Sociology in Latvia by Ilze Trapenciere, Maija Ashmane, and Janina Krutskih Major Features in the Development of Lithuanian Sociology by Vladas Gaidys and Anele Vosyliute Estonian Sociology: The Emergence of an Empirical Tradition by Ellu Saar, Mikk Titma, and Paul Kenkmann Sociological Theories of Socialist Society by Bronislaw Misztal References Index

No one above suspicion: Talcott parsons under surveillance

This article presents details, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, of an extensive investigation carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into the background and activities of Talcott Parsons. In 1952, following allegations that Parsons was the leader of a Communist Party cell at Harvard University, J. Edgar Hoover authorized a security-type investigation of Parsons; it continued for two years and was conducted throughout the United States and in at least seven European nations. Parsons was eventually cleared of all accusations, but FBI scrutiny of his activities continued on an intermittent basis for at least another thirteen years. Possible influences on Parsons’ scholarship and implications for the sociology of knowledge are also discussed.

Sociology in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s: A Decade of Reconstruction

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independence of Central and Eastern Europe, and the disappearance of the great polarity that separated East and West, the climate for sociology changed radically. Throughout the region sociologists found themselves with a new independence, free of the ideological and intellectual restrictions that had been imposed by state and Party authorities. In the post‐1989 era, sociology entered a decade of reconstruction and began to take on a new role, helping to understand the transformations that occurred, as well as facilitating the social change they brought about. This article examines this recent history of sociology in Central and Eastern Europe with particular attention to deCommunization, institutionalization, teaching, theory and methods, topics of research, and international collaboration and influences.

The Natural Step for Colleges and Universities

Surveys of the attitudes of students, faculty, staff, and administrators consistently demonstrate that higher education is one of the leading sectors in recognizing the importance of the sustainability revolution. Yet, to date, its most important impact and visible gains have been on the nonacademic side of the house, in areas such as facilities, operations and maintenance, groundskeeping, purchasing, and food service. Lagging behind, but still robust, are developments in teaching and research in the newly emerging field of sustainability studies. At first blush, this seems like a counterintuitive irony or just another example of the residents of the ivory tower out of touch with the real world. Upon closer examination, it is not surprising. Building out a new field of study requires creden tialed faculty members (Ph.D.s) in place constructing new curriculums and initiating new research agendas. Yet, most of the faculty members who are currently teaching courses and doing research in sustainability studies are self-educated and not formally trained. Sustainability studies is an adjunct to their other areas of specialization. How could it be any different, as there are still only a handful of programs offering a Ph.D. in the field? Most of these programs are just beginning to turn their first gradu ates out into the market.