Public Sociology When the “Public” Is under Attack: Response to Hartmann

In his presidential address, Douglas Hartmann refines existing theoretical approaches to provide a more precise framework of public sociology. In this response piece, I consider several of his key points and elaborate on their implications for contemporary society. Specifically, I address whether distinctions between types of sociology remain essential and consider the challenges associated with doing public sociology in an increasingly fractured public sphere. I conclude with a call for sociologists to think through these issues in more detail to heighten our influence on the social spheres we research and discuss.