Cole’s Public Sociology

This chapter suggests that Cole is one of Britain’s most significant public sociologists. I begin this argument by discussing the controversial issue of Cole’s changing political views. I argue that these can be explained by Cole’s desire to have a continual relevance and usefulness to the public. While it causes intellectual problems Cole sees this as a price worth paying. From here, I discuss the nature of Cole’s public contribution. While his books are significant here, I pay significant attention to his newspaper and magazine articles, as well as his ‘creative’ public sociology. The articles show a distinctive way of relating everyday issues, such as a ferry service, leisure activities and the shape of people’s gardens, into sociological critique. Meanwhile Cole’s creative sociology, running from songs to poems to an operetta and into film, showed different ways to present sociology. I conclude the chapter discussing how Cole makes us reconsider the way we theorise public sociology.