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Sociology: An Idea Whose Time Has ComeAuthor(s): Earl BabbieSource:
Sociological Perspectives,
Vol. 47, No. 4 (Winter, 2004), pp. 331-338Published by: University of California PressStable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4148855
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SOCIOLOGY:AN IDEAWHOSETIME HAS COME
EARLBABBIE*ChapmanUniversity
ABSTRACT:Thisis arevised versionofthe2004 PSA PresidentialAddress.Itexaminesthevitalneedforsociologyintoday'sworld andthewaysin whichsociologyalready overtlyandcovertlymakesadifferenceandsuggests waystoenhance theimpactof sociologyintheyearsahead.
AsIgrowolder andmortalityislessofatheoreticalconcept,Ifindmyselfsome-timesthinkingabout howIwould liketoberemembered.While"stillalive"isper-hapsmyfirstchoice,Iwouldalso liketo berememberedas asociologistwhopersis-tentlyand evenannoyingly poked,prodded,andnaggedhiscolleaguestotaketheirprofessionever moreseriouslyand to insistonsociologymakinga differ-ence inthecreationof ajustandhumanesociety.Hencethisyear'stheme,"Soci-ology:AnIdeaWhose Time HasCome."If Irepeata fewthingsI have said onthistopicbefore,thatisin thenature ofnagging.Ifwe weregods,contemplatingthestateofhumanity,Isuspectwe wouldbeinclined to startover.However,weare notgods.Wearesociologists,sowe are moreinclined to lookforwaystopatchthingsup,uncoverproblems,discoverwaystofixthem,andsoforth.Iwould liketosuggestthat weshift that orientationintohighgear.Itistime forsociologywithan attitude.Letmebeginby sayingalittle aboutwhyI feelsociologyisimportanttohumanity,andthenIwilllookatwhatkindofimpactit hasbeenhaving.I willconcludewithsomesuggestionsforthefuture.ALLSOCIALPROBLEMSARE SOCIOLOGICALANDSOARETHEIRSOLUTIONSTobegin,Ithinkitbearsunderscoringthatallsocialproblemsaresociological.Idonot meantosuggest,ofcourse,thatwecurrentlyhavealltheanswers,butIassertthateverysocialproblemthatconcernspeopletodayhas itssolutionin thedomaintendedbysociologists.Thismightseemtautologicaltomanyinourfield,butit isalsoworthpointingout thatwe,as asociety,still tendtolookfor solutionselsewhere.
*Direct allcorrespondenceto: EarlBabbie,Chapman University,DepartmentofSociology,Roosevelt216,OneUniversityDr.,Orange,CA92866;e-mail:babbie@chapman.edu.SociologicalPerspectives, Vol.47,Issue4,pp.331-338,ISSN0731-1214,electronicISSN1533-8673.?2004byPacificSociologicalAssociation.Allrightsreserved. Please direct allrequestsforpermissiontophoto-copyorreproducearticle contentthroughtheUniversityof California Press'sRightsandPermissionswebsite,athttp://www.ucpress.edu/journals/rights.htm.
 
332SOCIOLOGICALERSPECTIVESVolume47,Number4,2004Itismyconclusion,forexample,thatoverpopulationis the motherofall socialproblems today.Harnessing populationgrowthwillnot solveall the otherproblems,butifwe failtodo sowehavenohopeforlong-termsolutionstohunger, poverty,ethnicviolence, war,environmentaldegradation,andprobablyeveryotherprob-lem thatconcernsus.Andyetwhere havewe tended to lookfor solutionstotheproblemofuncheckedpopulationgrowth?Weturnedfirst tobiologists, hopingtheycouldtell uswhere allthosebabiescame from andwhy.Thebiologists gaveusadefinitiveanswer,buttheproblempersisted.Ifonlywe couldsolvetheproblemwithoutdampeningoneof thegreatpleasureswe haddiscovered. That becameournewgoal.Weasked therubberindustryforasolution,andtheyobliged.Yettheproblempersisted.Maybeifyoucouldjusttake apill,wemused-andthe chemistspro-videdasolution.Stilltheproblempersisted.Itis time foreveryonetorecognizethat theproblemofoverpopulationresidesinthesociologicaldomain:intheform ofpro-natalistbeliefs,values, norms,andotheraspectsof culture. And thatis wherewewill find solutions.Ithas beenmypleasureto work withthePopulationMedia Center'initsattempttofightover-populationaround theworld.Itiscurrentlyworkingtogetpeopleindozens ofcountriestorecognize,examine,andshift their viewsandpracticesregarding(1)familysize, (2)safesex,and(3)thestatusofwomen.Theirprimarytool:soapoperas,whichgototheheart ofthe culturalfactorsmaintainingoverpopulationandrelatedproblems.The initialassessmentssuggesttheyarebeingverysuccess-ful.InTanzania,forexample,theleadingmale characterfinallygaveintohiswife'stwoyearsofnaggingandwent to thefamilyplanningclinic forcondoms.Thenextday,realfamilyplanningclinicswere floodedwith menaskingfor con-doms.InEthiopia,newvisitorstothefamilyplanningclinicscommonlycitethesoapoperasnowbeingbroadcastintwolanguagesthere asthe stimulusfortheirinterestincontrolling fertility.Withoutaddressingeverysocialproblem,onebyone,I wanttobe clearthatwhatIamsayingisnottruejustofoverpopulation.Considerwar. If wesimplylook to where wespend moneytopreventwar,thereis no contest:wespendit onthedevelopmentofweapons.This has seemed likethewaytogoforalongtime.Forexample,when HiramGatlinginvented thefirstfullyautomaticmachinegun,he is saidtohavedeclaredthat he hadfinallybroughtanendtowar. Hisnewweaponwouldreapsuchdevastatingslaughteronthe battlefieldthat nogeneralwouldeversendsoldierstoface such suredeath.Bythe sametoken,theWrightbrothersfelttheyhadmade futurewarsunthinkable,asairplanescouldnowflyover citiesanddrop explosivesthat woulddestroyeverythinginsight.Suchhopes,ofcourse,underestimated the vicariouscourageof nationalandmili-taryleaders.Manyof us remember the ColdWartheoryofMutuallyAssuredDestruction-aptly generatingtheacronymMAD. Theabilitytodestroythepossibilityofhuman life on theplanetseemed thewaytobringanend to war.Clearly,this hasnot beenworking. Perhapsitis time to examineseriouslysuch issuesas ethnicidentity,internationaleconomics,exploitationofresources,andpoverty.In thewake of theSeptember11, 2001, attacks,forexample,scholars needto be able to
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