Sociology and the pursuit of societal change

In their commentary, Aksoy and colleagues contrast sociologists’ pursuit of societal change with demanding sociological standards. This creates a false distinction between two dimensions that need not be opposed and does not help sociology move forward towards developing better forms of public engagement. Sociological research often addresses politicized topics, requiring careful deliberation about how findings are communicated to society, including how they are ideologically framed. The authors call for greater rigour and openness in sociology, which, rather than frustrating the pursuit of societal change, can in fact complement it by holding societal engagement itself to the highest sociological standards.