- School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR),
University of Kent,
Canterbury,
Kent,
CT2 7NF
- Historical Sociology, Medical Sociology, Philosophy of Human Suffering, Media Sociology, Sociology, Max Weber (Philosophy), and 27 moreCritical Social Theory, Enlightenment, History of Sociology, Sociology of Risk, Compassion, History Of Emotions, Social emotions, Compassionate Communication, Distant Suffering, Mediated Suffering, Suffering and Media, Hannah Arendt, Critical Theory, Social Theory, Pierre Bourdieu, Max Weber, Public Sociology, Politics And Sociology Of Risk, Caregiving, Sympathy, Social Suffering, Suffering, History of Humanitarianism, Arthur Kleinman, Paul Farmer, Didier Fassin, and Humanitarianismedit
- My interests concern social suffering, the politics of compassion, the sociology of health, the sociology of risk and... moreMy interests concern social suffering, the politics of compassion, the sociology of health, the sociology of risk and social theory. I study the ways in which people struggle to make the experience of suffering productive for thought and action. I am particularly interested in occasions where problems of suffering amount to forces of cultural innovation and social change. I attempt to understand how traditional problems of theodicy manifest themselves in today’s world as problems of ‘sociodicy’. I aim to gather insights into the social and cultural constitution of human suffering and the character of events and experiences where too much suffering is perceived to take place. This involves me in the task of understanding how people come to understand that there is an excess of suffering in the world, and how this in turn shatters the bounds of normative expectation so as to create demands for social restitution. It draws analytical attention to the transformations that take place in cultural worldviews, social behaviours and institutional arrangements in contexts where people experience and/or respond to acute problems of suffering. The theoretical dimension of this project draws on elements of classical sociological theory and also engages with contemporary vistas of inquiry into the social character of emotions, the social dynamics of embodied experience and the political economy of health. In a more policy orientated and practical direction, it concerns the ways in which people’s collective imagination for the suffering of others has an incisive bearing upon moral, political and institutional responses to human affliction and social need.edit
Sociology is always concerned with the causes and consequences of human suffering in one form or another, yet there is no sociology of suffering per se. This book is written with the understanding that if sociology fails to attend to what... more
Sociology is always concerned with the causes and consequences of human suffering in one form or another, yet there is no sociology of suffering per se. This book is written with the understanding that if sociology fails to attend to what suffering does to people then it is left with a severely diminished account of human experience. Wilkinson maintains that a sociological response to suffering must confront the most unsettling questions of meaning and morality. He argues that the apparent ′senselessness′ of suffering has the power to transform dramatically the ways we relate to society and ourselves. The book explores some of the ways in which our sensitivity towards this ′problem of suffering′ is related to a new ′politics of compassion′ in modern societies
It is now sociological common sense to declare that, in everyday life, large numbers of people approach matters of work, family life, trust and friendship with 'risk' constantly in mind. This book, provides an introductory overview and... more
It is now sociological common sense to declare that, in everyday life, large numbers of people approach matters of work, family life, trust and friendship with 'risk' constantly in mind. This book, provides an introductory overview and critical assessment of this phenomenon. Iain Wilkinson outlines contrasting sociological theories of risk, and summarizes some of the principle discoveries of empirical research conducted into the ways people perceive, experience and respond to a world of danger. He also examines some of the moral concerns and political interests that feature in this area of study.
Designed to equip readers not only with the sociological means to debate the human consequences of our contemporary culture of risk, but also, with the critical resources to evaluate the significance this holds for current sociology, this book provides a perfectly pitched undergraduate introduction to the topic.
Designed to equip readers not only with the sociological means to debate the human consequences of our contemporary culture of risk, but also, with the critical resources to evaluate the significance this holds for current sociology, this book provides a perfectly pitched undergraduate introduction to the topic.
Few would dispute that we are living at a time of high anxiety and uncertainty in which many of us will experience a crisis of identity at some point or another. At the same time, news media provide us with a daily catalogue of disasters... more
Few would dispute that we are living at a time of high anxiety and uncertainty in which many of us will experience a crisis of identity at some point or another. At the same time, news media provide us with a daily catalogue of disasters from around the globe to remind us that we inhabit a world of crisis, insecurity and hazard. Anxiety in a Risk Society :
looks at the problem of contemporary anxiety from a sociological perspective;
highlights its significance for the ways we make sense of risk and uncertainty;
argues that the relationship between anxiety and risk hinges on the nature of anxiety.
Iain Wilkinson believes that there is much for sociologists to learn from those who have made the condition of anxiety the focus of their life's work. By making anxiety the focus of sociological inquiry, a critical vantage point can be gained from which to attempt an answer to the question: Are we more anxious because we are more risk conscious? This is an original and thought-provoking contribution to the understanding of late modernity as a risk society.
looks at the problem of contemporary anxiety from a sociological perspective;
highlights its significance for the ways we make sense of risk and uncertainty;
argues that the relationship between anxiety and risk hinges on the nature of anxiety.
Iain Wilkinson believes that there is much for sociologists to learn from those who have made the condition of anxiety the focus of their life's work. By making anxiety the focus of sociological inquiry, a critical vantage point can be gained from which to attempt an answer to the question: Are we more anxious because we are more risk conscious? This is an original and thought-provoking contribution to the understanding of late modernity as a risk society.
The concept of risk is one of the most suggestive terms for evoking the cultural character of our times and for defining the purpose of social research. Risk attitudes and behaviours are understood to comprise the dominant experience of... more
The concept of risk is one of the most suggestive terms for evoking the cultural character of our times and for defining the purpose of social research. Risk attitudes and behaviours are understood to comprise the dominant experience of culture, politics and society in our times.
Health, Risk and Vulnerability investigates the personal and political dimensions of health risk that structure everyday thought and action. In this innovative book, international contributors reflect upon the meaning and significance of risk across a broad range of social and institutional contexts, exploring current issues such as:
the ‘escalation of the medicalization of life’, involving the pathologization of normality and blurring of the divide between clinical and preventive medicine
the tendency for mental health service users to be regarded as representing a risk to others rather than being ‘at risk’ and vulnerable themselves
the development of health care systems to identify risk and prevent harm
women’s reactions to ‘high risk’ screening results during pregnancy and how they communicate with other women about risk
men and the use the internet to reconstruct their social and sexual identities
Charting new terrain in the sociology of health and risk, and focusing on the connections between them, Health, Risk and Vulnerability offers new perspectives on an important field of contemporary debate and provides an invaluable resource for students, teachers, researchers, and policy makers.
Health, Risk and Vulnerability investigates the personal and political dimensions of health risk that structure everyday thought and action. In this innovative book, international contributors reflect upon the meaning and significance of risk across a broad range of social and institutional contexts, exploring current issues such as:
the ‘escalation of the medicalization of life’, involving the pathologization of normality and blurring of the divide between clinical and preventive medicine
the tendency for mental health service users to be regarded as representing a risk to others rather than being ‘at risk’ and vulnerable themselves
the development of health care systems to identify risk and prevent harm
women’s reactions to ‘high risk’ screening results during pregnancy and how they communicate with other women about risk
men and the use the internet to reconstruct their social and sexual identities
Charting new terrain in the sociology of health and risk, and focusing on the connections between them, Health, Risk and Vulnerability offers new perspectives on an important field of contemporary debate and provides an invaluable resource for students, teachers, researchers, and policy makers.
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This article is designed as a sociological contribution to the problem of understanding modern humanitarianism. This is not so much concerned with the status of humanitarianism as a political idealism, but rather, with the ways in which... more
This article is designed as a sociological contribution to the problem of understanding modern humanitarianism. This is not so much concerned with the status of humanitarianism as a political idealism, but rather, with the ways in which it is nurtured within and sustained by embodied forms of social life and modes of human sociality. While it is organised around a critical reading of Foucauldian critiques of humanitarianism it aims to explain the potential for humanitarianism to instruct sociological understanding; especially where the latter concerns itself with the harms done to people in society and how we are socially and culturally disposed to care for others. While outlining a ‘sociology of humanitarianism’ it also argues for the value of incorporating ‘humanitarian’ culture and values into projects of social research.
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This article documents and analyses a reconstructed Weberian conception of the problem of suffering. In this setting a focus is brought to how the problem of suffering is constituted in the dynamic interplay between, on the one hand, the... more
This article documents and analyses a reconstructed Weberian conception of the problem of suffering. In this setting a focus is brought to how the problem of suffering is constituted in the dynamic interplay between, on the one hand, the compulsion to impose rational sense and order on the world, and on the other, the necessity to find a means to satiate charismatic needs. The discussion highlights Weber's account of the tendency for problems of suffering to increase in volume and scale along with the intensification and spread of modern processes of rationalization. It offers a case for the development of further sociological inquiries into the role played by experiences of the problem of suffering within the dynamics of social and cultural change.
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Social Suffering and the New Politics of Sentimentality Iain Wilkinson In recent years, the concept of 'social suffering'has been widely adopted in social science as a means to refer us to lived experiences of pain, damage,... more
Social Suffering and the New Politics of Sentimentality Iain Wilkinson In recent years, the concept of 'social suffering'has been widely adopted in social science as a means to refer us to lived experiences of pain, damage, injury, deprivation, and loss. Here it is generally understood that human ...
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This paper is designed as an invitation to debate the value of research and writing on social suffering in relation to practices of caregiving. It offers a brief account of the origins and development of... more
This paper is designed as an invitation to debate the value of research and writing on social suffering in relation to practices of caregiving. It offers a brief account of the origins and development of 'social suffering' as a concern for social inquiry. Henry Mayhew and Jane Addams are profiled in terms of their pioneering roles as social researchers heavily preoccupied with problems of social suffering. The contrast between Henry Mayhew's frustrated attempts at caregiving and Jane Addams' success in instituting the pedagogy of caregiving in the work of Hull House is set up for analysis. These examples are used to issue an invitation to readers to question the cultural and institutional circumstances that make possible forms of social inquiry that recognise caregiving both as a means to social understanding and as an aim for social research in practice.
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This article presents and discusses the findings of a survey conducted among Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in most of the twenty-seven countries within the European Union, which studied the extent and success of fundraising from... more
This article presents and discusses the findings of a survey conducted among Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in most of the twenty-seven countries within the European Union, which studied the extent and success of fundraising from philanthropic sources for research. Our data demonstrate that success in fundraising is related to institutional privilege (in terms of the universities' reputation, wealth and networks) as well as factors relating to the internal organization, activities and cultures of universities (such as the extent of investment in fundraising activities) and factors relating to the external social, economic and political environments (such as national cultural attitudes towards philanthropy and the existence of tax breaks for charitable giving). Our findings identify the existence of a ‘Matthew effect’, such that privilege begets privilege, when it comes to successful fundraising for university research. We argue that, despite the existence of some untapped philanthropic potential, not all universities are equally endowed with the same fundraising capacities. The article concludes by suggesting that policy-makers pay more heed to the structural constraints within which fundraising takes place, to ensure that policies that seek to promote philanthropy are realistic.
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This paper provides a critical review of engagements between the sociology of mass media and risk research. Attention is focused upon the ways in which sociologists and experts in media/communication studies have worked to bring a more... more
This paper provides a critical review of engagements between the sociology of mass media and risk research. Attention is focused upon the ways in which sociologists and experts in media/communication studies have worked to bring a more socially dynamic and culturally nuanced account of the ways in which people interpret and respond to the content of news media within the
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I. Wilkinson/Medical Sociology online 1 (2006) 45-47 www. medicalsociologyonline. org 45 The Problem of Suffering as a Problem for Sociology Iain Wilkinson University of Kent im wilkinson@ kent. ac. uk I am grateful to the editors for... more
I. Wilkinson/Medical Sociology online 1 (2006) 45-47 www. medicalsociologyonline. org 45 The Problem of Suffering as a Problem for Sociology Iain Wilkinson University of Kent im wilkinson@ kent. ac. uk I am grateful to the editors for devoting some space to comments ...
ABSTRACT The PersonThe Social ContextThe Intellectual ContextThe TheoryAssessmentBibliography
ABSTRACT This article offers a critical appraisal of C. Wright Mills’s The Sociological Imagination with focus brought to how he sets his sociology into practice. It is designed as an invitation to further dialogue and debate over the... more
ABSTRACT This article offers a critical appraisal of C. Wright Mills’s The Sociological Imagination with focus brought to how he sets his sociology into practice. It is designed as an invitation to further dialogue and debate over the methodology of this work. It reviews Mills’s attempt to create a “sociologized pragmatism” and analyzes the contribution of The Sociological Imagination to this project. It argues that the critical praxis that informs the development of research and writing on “social suffering” demonstrates an approach to social inquiry that moves both with and beyond Mills, particularly with regard to the task of cultivating social understanding from conflicts met in lived experience.
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With reference to the 'theoretical crisis'of those media researchers who have come to the conclusion that much of their work has been undermined by a fuller recognition of the complexity of symbolic production and... more
With reference to the 'theoretical crisis'of those media researchers who have come to the conclusion that much of their work has been undermined by a fuller recognition of the complexity of symbolic production and exchange, this paper presents a critical summary of the potentialfor 'new ...
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Abstract This editorial provides a summary account of research and writing on 'social suffering.' Some of the ways in which this body of work might be approached within the field of health risk research are outlined.... more
Abstract This editorial provides a summary account of research and writing on 'social suffering.' Some of the ways in which this body of work might be approached within the field of health risk research are outlined. Some of the criticisms that might be directed towards the ...
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Abstract. This article provides a critical review of literature on 'social suffering'. Analytical attention is focused upon the ways in which writers struggle to bring 'meaning' to this topic. All sense... more
Abstract. This article provides a critical review of literature on 'social suffering'. Analytical attention is focused upon the ways in which writers struggle to bring 'meaning' to this topic. All sense that there is always something in events of extreme suffering that resists conceptualisation ...
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Introduction In recent years there has been a new 'awakening' to the need for social science to inquire more substantially into the lived reality of human suffering. Clearly, a great many publications are devoted to... more
Introduction In recent years there has been a new 'awakening' to the need for social science to inquire more substantially into the lived reality of human suffering. Clearly, a great many publications are devoted to detailing the dramatic and tragic events of modern history, and ...
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Page 1. http://est.sagepub.com Theory European Journal of Social DOI: 10.1177/13684319922224608 1999; 2; 445 European Journal of Social TheoryIain Wilkinson Where is the Novelty in our Current `Age of Anxiety'? http ...
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This will be the editorial introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Classical Sociology celebrating the two hundredth year of the birth of Karl Marx.
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This is a draft paper that I recently presented as part of a presentation to a conference at the Institute for Culture and Society at the University of Navarra in Pamplona.
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This article explores the concept of 'social suffering' and how it has been adopted within contemporary sociology as a means to profile the harms done to people in situations of adversity. A focus is brought Pierre Bourdieu's account of... more
This article explores the concept of 'social suffering' and how it has been adopted within contemporary sociology as a means to profile the harms done to people in situations of adversity. A focus is brought Pierre Bourdieu's account of this matter in the interviews and essays published in English as The Weight of the World: Social Suffering in Contemporary Society (1999). Analytical attention is brought to how Bourdieu sought to combine a protest against what suffering does to people with a further protest against the failure of sociology to provide an adequate address to this in human terms. It is argued that The Weight of the World bears testimony to the great burden of contradictions that Bourdieu invested in his sociology and to how this was set to collapse in a fit protest; both against society and his attempts to frame this with sociological understanding.