Sociological and Interdisciplinary Adventures: A Personal Odyssey.

This article presents an autobiographical account of the author's academic career, with special emphasis on the balance between his professional activities as a sociologist and his interdisciplinary activities. My doctoral degree is in sociology, and I spent 36 years of my career in a sociology department. I have conducted sociological research, written textbooks in sociology, edited the American Sociological Review, and participated and held many offices in the American Sociological Association. At the same time I believe I am regarded as among the most interdisciplinary of sociologists. My research has clearly included many other disciplines--especially economics, history, psychology, and education--along with sociology. Furthermore, I have been institutionally involved in numerous transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary activities with publishers, private foundations, the Social Science Research Council, and the National Academy of Sciences. Interdisciplinary intellectual activity does little to solidify the disciplines with one another, though it can work modestly in that direction by generating mutual interdependence and appreciation. But, the kind of interdisciplinary institutional activities in which I have participated extensively is helpful and essential for the institutional protection and promotion of the enterprise as a whole.