Community and Urban Sociology

Terry Nichols Clark
University of Chicago
2012 Fall, Vol. 25, No. 1

I am honored to receive the Lynd Award. I propose to celebrate a truly community approach. My simple argument is that we in the West exaggerate individualism. We give prizes to individuals, seldom teams and themes. Yet, teams are critical in much of social science. Not just for data but for building complex theories which specify how interpretations shift by location. Team members from different locations add value. Most of my publications are coauthored, indicating these debts. When I have been congratulated, I reply, I could not have done it without you. To date no one has disagreed, including the janitor.

Community does not necessarily imply harmony, but can include stimulating disagreement and debate.

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