Poststructuralist Sociology

[cyclingsociologist]

Hello all,

I am wondering if any of you can, off the top of your head, note programs within the US that have a strong emphasis in poststructuralist theory, or schools that have faculty members whose area of interest includes poststructuralism. Most of this work seems to be conducted in the UK, which is unfortunate for Americans, since we have little shot at funding.

Thanks!

[JohnBom]

SFSU Dumont?

[cyclingsociologist]

SFSU Dumont?

Thanks but SFSU doesn't have a PhD program...

[Waytooyoungtheorist]

Old topic, but I'm bumping because I'm curious about the topic too.

[barilicious]

Celine-Marie Pascale does poststructural theory at American University, but they also only have an MA not a PhD program.

[hoobers]

Poststructuralist theory never really took root in sociology in the United States, though it did in Britain. You are unlikely to find a program that will offer you a strong training in it, though I am sure a few departments will have a professor or two versed in it. More importantly, you are going to have a hell of a hard time on the US sociology job market with a poststructuralist dissertation. You are also unlikely to get any respected US sociology journals to publish this kind of work. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but going into a US sociology program expecting to study poststructuralism is a bad idea. If you are determined to stay in the United States, you should really look into Anthropology. That is the main disciplinary home of poststructuralism in the US social sciences. (Communication, Cultural/Media/Ethnic Studies, and Comp Lit departments are other places to consider.)

[soc_gradGuy]

I would say hoobers is generally right....post-structuralist researchers tend to be in anthropology but a group of sociologists who are taking off in this area are at UCSF. Alde Clark and a couple of other people there do a lot of stuff with post-structuralist critiques of medicine...check out literatures related to "biomedicalization" if you're interested....I'm not sure but the program may even have ties with the medical anthro program at UCB (which would make sense with the previous comment)...in terms of jobs maybe hoobers is correct, I think getting a job in medical anthro can be difficult these days but I think there may be more jobs in "science & technology" programs, medical schools and other settings looking for critical researchers interested in technology and bioethics...

Poststructuralist theory never really took root in sociology in the United States, though it did in Britain. You are unlikely to find a program that will offer you a strong training in it, though I am sure a few departments will have a professor or two versed in it. More importantly, you are going to have a hell of a hard time on the US sociology job market with a poststructuralist dissertation. You are also unlikely to get any respected US sociology journals to publish this kind of work. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but going into a US sociology program expecting to study poststructuralism is a bad idea. If you are determined to stay in the United States, you should really look into Anthropology. That is the main disciplinary home of poststructuralism in the US social sciences. (Communication, Cultural/Media/Ethnic Studies, and Comp Lit departments are other places to consider.)