WS1 - Atelier 1.1 - Tricks of the Sociological Theory Trade: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

9 février 2026 (13h30–17h00)

G. Abend

You’ve probably heard this before: “your sociological work won’t get published if it’s atheoretical or undertheorized”; “theory is a fundamental component of your research and education.” Is it really, though? Many young sociologists feel that what matters to them isn’t theory, but scientific research and empirical findings. Not theory blah, but whether gender discrimination is increasing, or what’s the relationship between the environment and inequality. Other young sociologists feel that what matters to them isn’t theory but practice. Not theory blah, but where activism can make a difference and what to demand from political actors. So, why should sociologists care about theory (if at all)? What’s sociological theory for (if anything)? In this workshop we’ll look at what sociologists do when they do theory. We’ll see that they use a bunch of tricks of the trade. There are good, bad, and ugly ones. Some of them can come in handy, so your papers and dissertations aren’t accused of being “undertheorized.” Bonus track: is sociological theory necessarily dry and boring? Ce workshop est bilingue : les participant-e-s peuvent parler en anglais ou en français

Grand Hôtel des Rasses (Les Rasses)