Michael Burawoy passed away abruptly on February 3, 2025. The International Sociological Association (ISA) mourns one of its most influential and inspiring presidents, a remarkable and creative global sociologist, an advocate for a public sociology relevant to the people and civil society, an inspiring teacher who trained generations of sociologists, and an extraordinary human being. A Professor of Sociology at UC Berkeley, his work exemplifies how rigorous empirical research can inform and enrich theoretical debates, and vice versa. By integrating local, national, and global perspectives, he has offered comprehensive analyses that resonate across disciplines and inform public and policy discussions. Michael was our compass when it came to reminding us why sociology matters in our times and why it is worth devoting so much time and energy to doing and teaching sociology: “Sociology helps students understand how society is collective, the role of race, of class, of gender. Sociology is the scientific study of inequality and the oppression this entails. Sociology studies the very exclusions promoted by the conservative forces. But we study exclusions not to advance them but to recognize and publicize them, and to better understand how they can be contested and reversed.” (in Miami, March 10, 2024). Michael left us at a time when we most needed his leadership, his energy, his tireless work to help us understand our world, his example as an extraordinary teacher, his faith in relevant public sociology, his openness to a truly global dialogue, his in-depth and rigorous sociological analyses based on months of ethnographic fieldwork working in factories, his quest for social and epistemological justice, his indefatigable struggle for peace and justice in Palestine and in other parts of the world, and his unique energy, commitment and enthusiasm. Michael’s leadership, commitment and passion leave a profound mark on the ISA and the global sociological community. As the founder of Global Dialogue, ISA’s online magazine, he sought “to foster international debate and discussion on contemporary issues through a sociological lens”. As ISA Vice-President for National Associations (2006-2010) and then ISA President (2010-2014), he travelled the world to share his enthusiasm for the relevance of critical and public sociology in our times. He inspired thousands of sociologists with his analyses and convictions and touched them with his kindness, generosity and integrity. He leaves a global community of sociologists in a sudden mourning and faces a huge void. The ISA invites the global community of sociologists, scholars and social actors to an online tribute to celebrate his life and legacy on Saturday, February 8, at 9 am in Berkeley, 12 noon in New York, 5 pm in Manchester, 6 pm in Paris, 7 pm in Zambia, 10:30 pm in India. Join us on Zoom or follow the YouTube live transmission. Further tributes will be organized during the ISA Executive Committee Meeting in Johannesburg in March and during the ISA World Forum of Sociology (July 7-11) in Rabat, Morocco, in addition to initiatives that will be taken by our Research Committees, Working Groups, and Thematic Groups. Michael Burawoy’s contributions will continue to shape how sociologists understand and engage with the world. We invite you to listen again to his Presidential address at the 2014 ISA World Congress in Yokohama, in which he offered his vision for sociology, global dialogue, and justice. We will open access to the article of this address and his other contributions in Current Sociology. Michael has not only left us a celebrated work. He also dedicated his energy to building spaces and tools to bring sociologists together, the ISA being one of them. Only together may we live up to maintaining and developing his legacy, animated by the firm conviction that sociology matters in these challenging times. Geoffrey Pleyers, |
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