Historical perspectives on British sociology’s future: An interview with John Scott

John Scott’s career as a sociologist spans more than 50 years, during which time he has written or edited more than forty books among a total of more than two hundred publications. The breadth of his interests and his service to the discipline in various roles including as President of the British Sociological Association and chair of the Sociology sub-panel for the Research Assessment Exercise and the Research Excellence Framework make him particularly well-placed to comment on sociology’s history and its trajectories. His 2020 book British Sociology: A History presents a painstakingly-researched account of the discipline’s shifting fortunes in which its practitioners have responded to intellectual opportunities and practical challenges to promote vibrant and multi-faceted debate about the nature of social structures and the direction of social change. In the interview that follows he (JS) responds to questions from Graham Crow (GC) and Linda McKie (LM) to argue that knowledge of the discipline’s history has a key role to play informing to-day’s sociologists of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.