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- Title
How Themes in Literature Can Inform Sociological Theory, Research, and Teaching.
- Authors
Carter, Michael; Carter, Steven
- Abstract
In this article we revisit the strategy of using literature to inform sociology. We address a central question: what literary themes are generally ignored by sociologists, and how can sociology as a discipline benefit by incorporating such themes in theories of social processes? We identify ten themes that are common in literature but not common in sociological analyses: optimism, pessimism, ambition, indolence, betrayal, revenge, curiosity, apathy, doubt, and certainty. We first provide examples of how each theme is addressed in classic literature e.g., in works of fiction, poetry, religious texts, etc. and discuss their importance in understanding facets of the human condition. We then discuss how considering each theme can benefit theory and research in sociology. We conclude with a discussion of what changes must occur within the discipline of sociology to encourage sociologists to look beyond common themes and toward new areas of inquiry.
- Subjects
SOCIAL theory; THEMES in literature; SOCIOLOGY in literature; SOCIAL processes; SOCIOLOGISTS; OPTIMISM in literature; PESSIMISM in literature; AMBITION in literature; CERTAINTY in literature; BETRAYAL in literature; LAZINESS in literature; CURIOSITY in literature
- Publication
American Sociologist, 2014, Vol 45, Issue 4, p388
- ISSN
0003-1232
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s12108-014-9221-1