The status of sociology departments: An assessment of their current and future prospects

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Abstract
This paper examines the present and future status of sociology departments in the United States. An assessment is provided of both positive developments and problems experienced by departments and the discipline in general. Issues examined include student enrollment and degree recipients over the last two decades, enrollment trends in other disciplines, recent trends in advertised sociology faculty positions, the status of women and minorities, and which departments have and have not been eliminated. Based upon this assessment and the growing literature in the field dealing with these issues, future prospects for departments are discussed, problem areas are identified, and recommendations are made concerning the strengthening of the profession. While recognizing the challenges faced by sociology, this appraisal suggests that negative perceptions within the discipline concerning these difficulties can become exaggerated. Attention is directed to several issues affecting the status of sociology, including the effects of a “rhetoric of despair.”