What Happened to Sociology?

Is sociology becoming too political to function as a serious academic discipline? Professor Ashley T. Rubin discusses her new report for the Vanderbilt–WashU Commission on Scholarly Standards, which examines the growing politicization of sociology and whether political commitments are influencing what researchers study, what questions they avoid, and how scholarship is evaluated. We discuss sociology’s increasing focus on inequality, taboo research questions, resistance to biological explanations, declining political neutrality in top journals, reproducibility problems, activism versus objective scholarship, the decline of sociology majors, and what universities should teach students in the age of AI. Dr. Rubin also explains why she believes sociology still produces valuable work—but faces serious problems if the field is unwilling to confront its own blind spots. Special thanks to Professor Ashley T. Rubin for joining us and for her work on this important report. 📄 Read Ashley Rubin’s full sociology report: The Status of Scholarly Standards in Sociology — Vanderbilt University https://www.vanderbilt.edu/principles/state-of-scholarship-report/sociology/ashley-rubin/ (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/principles/state-of-scholarship-report/sociology/ashley-rubin/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ✍️ Ashley Rubin’s Substack: https://ashleytrubin.substack.com/ (https://ashleytrubin.substack.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) About the guest: Ashley T. Rubin is a sociologist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa whose research examines punishment, prisons, law and society, and academic scholarship. About El Podcast: In El Podcast, anything and everything is up for discussion. Grab a drink and join us in this epic virtual happy hour! We sit down with authors, researchers, scientists, academics, and independent thinkers to explore the ideas shaping our world—from science, health, and technology to economics, education, culture, politics, and society. Come curious. Leave with something to think about. #Sociology #HigherEducation #AcademicFreedom