Conflict and Order: Implications for a Research Agenda

Abstract

Mysociological activities may appear to the untrained eye as scattered and unfocused. The subjects investigated have included status inconsistents, youth, terrorists, athletes, coaches, racial minorities, governments, multinational corporations, banks, and universities. I have written textbooks for introductory sociology,social problems, criminology, family, and sport. And,I have penned essays on ethics, values, violence, crime, the Superbowl,the Olympics,and the structural transformation of the economy. Despite the seeming disparity in these topics and the variety of social categories studied, there is a strong theoretical thread that brings coherence to these works--the conflictparadigm. This paper examines the implications of this paradigm that guide my current research agenda.