Abstract
After thanking the audience for their attendance, Goodwin indicated this panel was sponsored by the Emeritus and Retired Faculty Committee of the Pacific Sociological Association (PSA). He introduced the session by noting that it grew out of discussions he has had recently with colleagues across the country and independent observations made concerning the apparent demise/ disappearance of classical sociological theory from regional and national meetings and our journals. After introducing the panel members and remarking on their distinguished characteristics, including two past Presidents of the PSA and a past President of the American Sociological Association (ASA), Goodwin noted the absence of Professor Wiley, due to illness, and indicated he would be missed. The following four questions had previously been given to the panel for consideration in making their presentations: (1) Is reference to or application of classical sociological theory, aside from a couple of Journals/Newsletters in the “History of Sociology,” disappearing from our journals and professional meetings? (2) What are undergraduate millennials learning today about “Classical Sociology” and the “History of Sociology” in their courses? Graduate students? What theorists are covered? (3) What, in your view, is the future of “Classical sociological Theory” regarding educating undergrads and graduate students about theory? and (4) What do you see to be the effects on the discipline as a whole if undergrads and graduate students are either not being introduced to the historical/classical theorists at all or are getting truncated presentations of a limited number of theorists (most often, probably Durkheim. Marx and Weber—The “Big Three”)? The first presenter was Turner, followed by McCaffree, Collins, and brief comments by Goodwin.