Specialization and the development of sociology: Differentiation of fragmentation?

Specialization has long been a dominant trend in American sociology despite persistent concern that it may constitute a threat to the intergrity of the discipline. The author proposes that specializations have proliferated because they have been functional for the growth and legitimation of the profession. Specifically, they have provided opportunities for more sociologists to make recognized contributions to knowledge during a prolonged period of increasing competition for research recognition and support. The emphasis on research also has advanced the status of faculty within the university. Because the source of new specialties has been changes in society, the domain of sociology has continued to expand, promoting student enrollments. However, the growth of the profession has been purchased at the price of the coherence of the discipline. Moreover, the fiscal crisis of the university may make the eclectic image of sociology departments a liability to their efforts to protect faculty. In the future, unionization may become an alternative to departmentalization and professionalization. Meanwhile, a new concentration on the development of the discipline may be the most effective way to ensure support of the profession. Our principal goal should be to develop a general, critical theory of society. As a first step, all studies should be addressed to and classified in terms of the core concepts that define the distinctive concerns of the discipline.