Berkeley Sociology mourns the loss of Michael Burawoy, a world-renowned sociologist and professor emeritus who died February 3. Professor Burawoy is famous for his contributions to theory, methods, analyses of labor processes in industrial worksites, and analyses of the university as a workplace..
As ASA President, Burawoy developed and advanced his call for “public sociology” a call that energized more diverse and younger generations of sociologists to practice sociology through proactive engagement with concerns and questions that emanate from communities beyond academia. As ISA President, Burawoy built infrastructure for sustained scholarly exchange between scholars of the “global south” and the “global north.”
Burawoy’s teaching and mentoring were legendary, as were his commitments to the improvement of pedagogy and sustaining accessible, high-quality public education. Read more about Professor Burawoy’s life and legacy as well as the memories and tribes from his students and colleagues..
Prof. Einstein served graduate students as a model of prudence in remaining unfashionably true to the grand…
Islands in the Street: Gangs and American Urban Society
Islands in the Street: Gangs and Urban Society
Departmental Colloquium Series
Poulami Roychowdhury, "From Rights to Protection: Reframing Women's Empowerment for Authoritarian Democracy"
Monday April 7th, 2025 at 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Blumer Room - 402 Social Sciences Building In Person Only
Abstract:
How do policy makers envision women’s “empowerment” within authoritarian democracies? This talk thinks through this pressing question by focusing on India. Officially the world’s largest electoral democracy and a place where women have historically been highly mobilized, India has experienced rising authoritarianism since 2014. Tracing policy makers’ shift away from domestic violence law towards a new focus on sexual harassment, Roychowdhury argues that women’s “empowerment” is currently being redefined in India to uphold Hindu domination and increase the discretionary power of law enforcement personnel. Through the Indian case, this talk theorizes how and why democratic authoritarianism may be characterized by a movement away from discourses and practices of rights towards a focus on women’s security and protection.