I am devastated by the heartbreaking news of the tragic death of Michael Burawoy, a preeminent, inspiring, and brilliant sociologist, and above all, an extraordinary and gentle human being. What an unfathomable contrast lies between a fleeting, detached report in a local newspaper about a hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of an “Oakland resident” and the overwhelming shock and deep sorrow felt upon learning that this tragedy had taken the life of the globally renowned scholar and towering figure in social sciences. I find myself at a loss for words at such a sad moment…
Professor Burawoy profoundly influenced my professional path and academic worldview, just as he has done for thousands and thousands of sociologists and activists around the world. He did it through his immense intellectual power, groundbreaking research (on labor and capitalism, Marxist theory, social and Bourdieusian theory, ethnography and the Extended Case Method), resolute commitment to dialogue across disciplines and borders, moral spirit, exceptional communication and organizational talents, and remarkable personal generosity. As an incisive critic and participant observer, Burawoy dissected structures of power and inequality, envisioning and shaping sociology as a tool for both understanding and change.
I founded the Economic Sociology and Political Economy global community in 2011 as a result of my growing understanding of Burawoy’s public sociology, a concept and approach he tirelessly advanced from the early 2000s. Public sociology emphasizes practicing sociology through proactive engagement with concerns and issues that emerge from civil society and various communities beyond academia and then generating and applying sociological knowledge in order to achieve the public good and social justice. Burawoy’s vigorous efforts to promote public sociology, along with the depth of his writings on its significance, continuously pushed me in this direction.
My direct connection with Michael began in 2013 after I shared one of his articles on the ES/PE community’s Facebook page. He was both astonished and slightly puzzled by the potency of social media—an area in which, as he admitted to me, he had no prior experience. He was particularly fascinated by the fact that a single individual’s initiative could evolve into a thriving online community — bringing together thousands academics, activists, and ordinary people — dedicated to discussions and the dissemination of scholarly knowledge.
Our relationship grew stronger when he invited me to join his project dedicated to publishing doctoral abstracts within the framework of the International Sociological Association, where he was then serving as president. At the ISA Congress in Yokohama, Japan, in 2014, I had the privilege of engaging in several fascinating conversations with him, particularly about Karl Polanyi’s The Great Transformation, on which he based his keynote lecture. One of these conversations took place during a one-on-one lunch, which he graciously paid for, cheerfully saying, “Next time, it’ll be your turn.” With his support, for which I deeply grateful, in Yokohama I took on the role of Chairman of the Junior Sociologists Network at the ISA. A few years later, at his kind invitation, I wrote about the network’s activities in Global Dialogue, the ISA magazine he enthusiastically founded and edited, which is available in multiple languages.
After he had completed his term at the ISA, we continued to correspond occasionally on related issues and to discuss the essence and challenges of public sociology. In one of his emails to me in 2016, he wrote:
“Dear Oleg, I am, of course, happy that my leadership makes a little difference here and there. It is curious that it should have been necessary to make a big thing of “public sociology” – after all what are we doing if we are just talking to one another. It’s even more curious that there should have been resistance to the idea too! Anyway I look forward to hear about your various projects from time to time. I think it will be important for you to gather around you other enthusiastic young sociologists from around the world.“
As I finish writing these fragile thoughts in memory of Professor Burawoy, a shrewd and inspiring quote from him springs to mind; a quote that encapsulates Burawoy’s vision for sociology. Celebrating and honoring his life, scholarship and leadership, I hope this vision and his legacy will guide and empower us in the years and battles to come. I hope…
“Now is the time for sociology to wake up and take a grip on itself, recover its original mission to defend society against an overweening state and out-of-control market, battle the forces of extinction by elaborating visions growing in the interstices of capitalism. It cannot forsake its utopian and anti-utopian commitments; exposing possibilities within limits and thereby expanding the limits of the possible. ” (Burawoy 2021: 214)

***
While you enjoy and benefit from the ES/PE community’s contents and useful information, please consider making a donation to endorse and support our work. Your contribution will ensure the ES/PE community’s independence and sustain our mission. Donate safely now via this PayPal link. Thank you