Sociology in the USA and beyond : a half-century decline?

In this article I trace the fortunes of sociology in the United States, Britain and Australia over the course of some 60 years. I compare the impact of professionalization, migration and institutional location on the character and contents of sociology in these countries. While recognizing the many achievements of professional sociology, I argue that the modern auditing frameworks by which the careers of academic sociologists are measured have had the effect of standardizing teaching and research in sociology to the point of marginalizing the discipline in many institutions. Such marginalization has occasionally encouraged creativity, but it has nonetheless left many sociology offerings in a fragile position. As part of my historical overview I challenge the stereotypical contrast between American empiricism and European theoretical flair.