Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Craig Calhoun

Craig Calhoun (born 1952) is an American sociologist and academic administrator specializing in comparative and historical sociology, social theory, and interdisciplinary studies spanning anthropology, communications, and political economy.^[1]^[2]
His scholarship examines the dynamics of democracy, social movements, nationalism, and the public sphere, emphasizing how interactions between local communities and larger institutions foster collective identities and political action.^[2]^[3]
Calhoun earned a D.Phil. from Oxford University in politics, sociology, and history, along with degrees in anthropology from the University of Manchester, and has authored or edited influential works including analyses of sociology's development and contemporary theoretical frameworks.^[4]^[5]
In leadership roles, he served as president of the Social Science Research Council from 1999, director and president of the London School of Economics from 2012 to 2016—where he advanced global engagement and institutional reforms—and currently holds the position of University Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University, alongside honorary appointments such as Centennial Professor at LSE.^[6]^[7]^[4]

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Childhood

Craig Calhoun was born on June 16, 1952, in Watseka, Illinois.^[8] His father worked as a Protestant minister whose somewhat itinerant career involved serving congregations in small communities.^[2] The family's mobility shaped Calhoun's early years, with residences primarily in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and California.^[2] Shortly after his birth, the family lived in Cissna Park, Illinois—a rural town near Watseka where his father held a ministry position—though they departed before Calhoun turned two.^[9] These frequent relocations exposed him to varied regional environments in the American Midwest and South during childhood.^[2]

Undergraduate Studies

Calhoun earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology, with a minor in cinema, from the University of Southern California in 1973.^[10] His undergraduate focus on anthropology introduced him to ethnographic methods and cultural analysis, fields that aligned with emerging interests in social structures and human societies.^[8]

Graduate Education and Early Influences

Calhoun earned a Master of Arts in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester, building on his undergraduate foundation in anthropology and sociology.^[11] He then pursued advanced doctoral research at St Antony's College, Oxford University, where he was awarded a D.Phil. in 1980 from the Politics Faculty, with a focus on modern social and economic history and sociology.^[8] This program integrated empirical historical analysis with sociological theory, emphasizing the dynamics of social structures and collective behavior over abstract ideological frameworks.^[4] His doctoral thesis, "Community, Class and Radicalism," investigated the social foundations of popular radicalism during the English Industrial Revolution, drawing on archival evidence to argue that community ties and moral economies, rather than purely class-based proletarianization, drove early protest movements.^[12] This work challenged prevailing Marxist interpretations by highlighting how local solidarities and traditional norms shaped radical action, providing a grounded alternative to economistic models of class struggle.^[13] The thesis laid the groundwork for Calhoun's later publications, including his 1982 book The Question of Class Struggle, which expanded on these findings through detailed case studies of industrial-era mobilizations.^[13] Calhoun's graduate training fostered an interdisciplinary approach, blending anthropological fieldwork methods from Manchester with Oxford's emphasis on historical sociology, which prioritized causal explanations rooted in observable social processes over speculative theory.^[4] This period marked his shift toward analyzing how embedded social relations—such as kinship, locality, and customary rights—influenced large-scale change, influencing his enduring focus on the empirical realities of collective identity and action.^[14] Early exposure to these traditions equipped him to critique overly deterministic views of modernity, favoring instead nuanced accounts of agency within historical contexts.^[15]

Intellectual Contributions

Nationalism and Civic Identity

In his 1997 book Nationalism, Craig Calhoun defines nations not through primordial ethnic ties but as modern constructs grounded in shared constitutional principles, public narratives, and institutional histories that foster collective identity and solidarity.^[16]^[17] He emphasizes civic nationalism, where individuals adopt national belonging by choice, often via allegiance to democratic constitutions and participatory public spheres, rather than inherited bloodlines or myths of ancient origins.^[18] This framework counters primordialist theories, which Calhoun critiques as overemphasizing emotionally charged ethnic traditions as innate and timeless, ignoring how such identities are socially constructed and mobilized in modern contexts like state-building and globalization.^[19]^[18] Calhoun draws on historical evidence from 19th-century Europe, particularly the "Springtime of the Peoples" revolutions of 1848, to illustrate nationalism's role in advancing democracy by integrating diverse populations into self-governing polities through shared civic practices and narratives of popular sovereignty.^[20]^[21] In these cases, nationalism facilitated the expansion of equitable representation and institutional accountability, enabling transitions from absolutist regimes to constitutional orders, as seen in movements across Germany, Italy, and the Habsburg Empire where public deliberation forged national cohesion amid industrialization and urbanization.^[22] He argues against dismissing nationalism as atavistic regression, positing instead that it arises causally from modernity's demands for scaled solidarity, providing the cultural and institutional glue for democratic self-rule without relying on ethnic essentialism.^[23]^[24] Calhoun's analysis extends to contemporary populism, framing it as a reaction to elite detachment from national frameworks, where disruptions from economic globalization erode the shared histories and institutions that sustain civic identity.^[25] In works like Nations Matter (2007), he contends that populism mobilizes national sentiments to reclaim agency against supranational forces, highlighting causal links between weakened national bonds and demands for restorative politics, as evidenced in events like Brexit where voters invoked sovereignty to counter perceived elite cosmopolitanism.^[23]^[25] This perspective underscores nationalism's enduring functionality in addressing inequalities in representation, urging transformation over rejection to align it with democratic pluralism.^[26]

Public Sphere, Civil Society, and Democracy

Calhoun extended Jürgen Habermas's concept of the bourgeois public sphere—originally described as an arena for rational-critical debate among private individuals to form public opinion—by emphasizing its empirical manifestations in diverse social practices beyond elite discourse. In his 1992 edited volume Habermas and the Public Sphere, Calhoun's introduction critiques Habermas's idealization of a unified, rational sphere, arguing instead that historical public spheres emerged through contentious interactions in civil society, including plebeian and radical movements that challenged dominant norms.^[27] For instance, he highlights 19th-century European examples, such as Chartist agitation in Britain and workers' associations in Germany, where public engagement involved not only deliberation but also mobilization against economic inequalities and state authority, fostering broader democratic claims.^[28] This empirical focus differentiates Calhoun's approach from abstract models, grounding the public sphere in observable processes of opinion formation and contestation. Civil society, in Calhoun's framework, serves as a mediator between state coercion and market-driven exchanges, enabling democratic legitimacy through shared cultural understandings that sustain voluntary cooperation and critique. He posits that civil society organizations—such as voluntary associations and protest networks—generate countervailing power by facilitating public discourse that holds authorities accountable, as evidenced by data on 20th-century social movements where participation rates in protests correlated with shifts in policy responsiveness, such as U.S. civil rights demonstrations influencing federal legislation between 1954 and 1968.^[29]^[30] Unlike purely contractual or economic ties, this mediation relies on communicative rationality, where citizens engage in deliberation to reconcile interests, thereby checking both statist overreach and commodified relations; Calhoun draws on Gramscian insights to argue that hegemony in civil society arises from consent rather than mere domination, supported by analyses of media roles in amplifying or suppressing public voices during events like the 1989 Eastern European transitions.^[29] Calhoun's theorization has been praised for advancing inclusive democracy by integrating civil society as a site for ongoing deliberation that enhances representation beyond electoral mechanisms, influencing scholars to view public spheres as dynamic spaces for marginalized groups to assert claims.^[31] However, critics argue that his Habermasian extension underemphasizes structural power asymmetries, particularly in non-Western contexts where civil society is often fragmented by colonial legacies, ethnic divisions, or authoritarian controls, limiting rational debate to elite or state-aligned actors rather than egalitarian exchange—as seen in limited empirical success of public sphere models in post-colonial states like India or Indonesia, where media capture by dominant interests distorts discourse.^[32] Nancy Fraser's contribution to Calhoun's volume, for example, contends that actual public spheres feature competing subaltern counterpublics stratified by class, race, and gender, challenging the assumption of a singular deliberative arena and highlighting how exclusions persist despite formal openness.^[33] These critiques underscore the need for contextual adaptations, as Calhoun's model, rooted in European bourgeois history, risks overgeneralizing causal mechanisms of mediation without accounting for varying institutional constraints on civil society's autonomy.^[28]

Critiques of Cosmopolitanism and Post-Nationalism

Calhoun has argued that post-nationalism overlooks the enduring role of nations in fostering democratic solidarity and accountability, critiquing the post-1989 enthusiasm for transcending national boundaries as empirically undermined by persistent conflicts and identity struggles. In his 2003 essay "Is It Time to Be Postnational?", he contends that equating nationalism solely with ethnonationalism ignores its function as a basis for equity and collective action, citing examples like the wars in the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Union, alongside the European Union's challenges with common defense and immigration-fueled nationalist resurgence, as evidence that abstract universalism fails without grounded cultural histories.^[34] These histories, he notes, sustain traditions not as static relics but as dynamic resistances to globalization's disruptions, such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis and post-9/11 border restrictions that highlighted nationalism's practical persistence.^[34] Expanding this in his 2007 book Nations Matter: Culture, History, and the Cosmopolitan Dream, Calhoun warns that pursuing a purely post-national politics is premature and potentially dangerous, as it erodes the national frameworks essential for welfare redistribution and democratic participation. He emphasizes that cosmopolitan ideals often depend on unacknowledged national foundations, such as passports and education systems that enable elite mobility while excluding broader populations.^[23] This elite-driven cosmopolitanism, akin to a "class consciousness of frequent travelers," substitutes stylistic globalism for substantive political engagement, fostering disempowerment and identity vacuums that empirically contribute to populist backlashes, including the 2016 Brexit referendum and Donald Trump's election, where voters rejected borderless abstractions in favor of reclaiming national sovereignty.^[35]^[34] Calhoun's realism underscores how national solidarities reconcile universal aspirations with concrete community ties, enabling accountability that transnational elites often evade, as seen in failures like Sudan's civil wars despite cosmopolitan interventions.^[35] Proponents of his view praise this for preserving democratic efficacy against abstract globalism's causal blind spots, where ignoring social bases leads to inequality amplification rather than resolution.^[36] Cosmopolitan advocates, however, have accused such positions of nativism by prioritizing bounded identities over ethical universalism; yet Calhoun counters with evidence that nations better facilitate cross-border cooperation, as in historical labor movements forging both domestic rights and international norms, demonstrating that weakening national ties undermines rather than advances global equity.^[36]^[34] Calhoun examined the Occupy Wall Street protests, which began on September 17, 2011, in New York City's Zuccotti Park, as a vivid enactment of the public sphere that mobilized against economic inequality and financial elites' political sway.^[37] He portrayed the movement as a dramatic, media-dominating event that invigorated public discourse on democracy and solidarity, yet noted its limitations in building enduring organizations or policy impacts, framing it more as performative critique than structured mobilization.^[38] In addressing technology's intersection with social movements, Calhoun highlighted how digital communication tools reshape solidarity and publics by enabling rapid, transnational coordination beyond physical proximity.^[39] He argued that information technologies support global movements through enhanced information flows, but cautioned against overemphasizing decentralization, as they often reinforce indirect social ties and urban public spheres without fully supplanting face-to-face interaction.^[40] This perspective underscores technology's dual role in fostering digital publics while demanding empirical scrutiny of its integrative versus fragmenting effects on collective action.^[41] On global change, Calhoun critiqued humanitarian interventions as responses to "emergencies," such as those in the 1990s Balkans conflicts or post-2001 disasters, for framing crises in ways that prioritize immediate aid over structural reforms, thereby perpetuating global inequalities under a cosmopolitan guise.^[42] He contended that this emergency imaginary, evident in operations by organizations like the United Nations since the 1930s, reveals a world stratified by material disparities rather than unified by shared humanity, often enabling top-down governance that sidesteps local agency.^[43] Such analyses integrate empirical data on infrastructure failures and intervention outcomes to challenge idealized narratives of global order.^[44] Calhoun's interdisciplinary approach yields insights into technology's amplification of movement voices amid transnational shifts, yet draws criticism for relative optimism regarding digital tools' democratizing effects, potentially downplaying surveillance risks and data commodification in platforms that track activists.^[45] These works emphasize causal links between technological affordances, movement dynamics, and global governance failures, grounded in historical and comparative evidence rather than abstract ideals.^[46]

Academic and Professional Career

Early Academic Positions and Teaching

Calhoun commenced his academic career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 1977, serving as an instructor in the Department of Sociology until 1980.^[12] He progressed through the ranks, becoming assistant professor of sociology from 1980 to 1985, associate professor of sociology and history from 1985 to 1989, and full professor of sociology and history from 1989 to 1996.^[12] During his tenure at UNC, he emphasized empirical and theoretical approaches to sociology, including historical and comparative methods informed by his anthropological background.^[47] In his teaching at UNC, Calhoun offered graduate-level courses such as Classical Social Theory, History of Social Thought, Political Sociology, and Comparative and Historical Sociology, alongside undergraduate classes like Introduction to Sociology and Cross-Cultural Relations.^[8] These courses integrated first-hand analysis of social structures, movements, and institutional dynamics, drawing on primary data from fieldwork and archival sources to challenge prevailing abstract models in social theory.^[12] His pedagogical focus fostered interdisciplinary engagement, particularly through joint appointments that bridged sociology with history and anthropology.^[12] From 1996 to 1999, Calhoun held a professorship in sociology at New York University (NYU), where he also chaired the Department of Sociology.^[12] At NYU, he continued instructing advanced seminars in social theory and collective action, emphasizing causal mechanisms in public engagement and institutional change based on verifiable historical cases.^[8] This period marked his transition toward urban and global sociological inquiries while maintaining a commitment to rigorous, evidence-based instruction.^[47] Calhoun assumed the presidency of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in 1999, succeeding Kenneth Prewitt, and led the organization through a period of strategic reconfiguration toward greater emphasis on interdisciplinary and problem-oriented research.^[48] Under his direction, the SSRC shifted from traditional area-specific committees to thematic, trans-regional international programs, fostering collaborations across disciplines to address global challenges such as economic inequality and political transformation.^[49] This reorganization aimed to enhance the relevance of U.S.-based social science to worldwide issues, prioritizing empirical analysis over siloed academic approaches.^[50] Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Calhoun coordinated the SSRC's rapid response through the publication of Understanding September 11 in 2002, a volume compiling essays from over two dozen anthropologists, economists, historians, political scientists, and sociologists to provide multifaceted interpretations of the events' social, cultural, and political ramifications.^[51] This initiative exemplified the SSRC's post-9/11 pivot to global social sciences, integrating U.S. perspectives with international fieldwork to examine transnational dynamics like security, migration, and ideological conflict, while advocating for sustained funding of such research amid heightened policy demands.^[52] Calhoun expanded the SSRC's international footprint by launching programs targeting the global South, including the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa fellowships in 2012, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which provided dissertation, postdoctoral, and completion awards to early-career scholars in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa to bolster African tertiary education and research capacity.^[53] These efforts bridged U.S. social science advocacy with capacity-building abroad, emphasizing causal mechanisms in development and peacebuilding, though they drew implicit critiques for potentially overemphasizing Western-framed metrics of scholarly success in non-Western contexts.^[54] Overall, his tenure saw the SSRC support dozens of interdisciplinary projects on globalization and crisis response, reinforcing its role as a U.S.-centric hub for advancing rigorous, evidence-based social inquiry.^[55]

Directorship at London School of Economics (2012–2016)

Calhoun assumed the role of Director and President of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on August 1, 2012, succeeding David Held, and served until August 1, 2016.^[1] His appointment marked a transition for the institution amid evolving UK higher education challenges, including funding constraints and increasing emphasis on demonstrable societal impact, distinct from his prior leadership at the U.S.-based Social Science Research Council, which focused on grant-making and transnational scholarly networks rather than direct university management.^[56] Under Calhoun's leadership, LSE prioritized strengthening interdisciplinary approaches in social sciences and public policy, with efforts to bolster faculty capabilities and international collaborations.^[11] He advanced public engagement initiatives, aligning the school's research with policy debates on pressing issues such as nationalism and global integration, including hosting discussions on the enduring legacies of World War I in the lead-up to LSE's October 2014 commemorative conference.^[57] Fundraising saw notable success, with records set in two consecutive years, supporting expanded research programs and infrastructure planning.^[8] Calhoun's tenure coincided with intensifying precursors to the 2016 Brexit referendum, including debates over EU membership and national sovereignty, prompting LSE to amplify empirically grounded public discourse through events and policy-oriented outputs.^[58] Unlike the SSRC's emphasis on academic fellowship programs, his LSE role involved navigating European regulatory contexts and domestic political shifts, fostering the school's role in addressing populism and civic identity amid these tensions. In December 2015, Calhoun announced he would not seek a second term, facilitating a smooth handover to Minouche Shafik.^[59] No major institutional controversies marred his directorship, though the period reflected broader strains in UK academia, such as reliance on international student fees amid austerity measures.^[60]

Role at Berggruen Institute (2016–2018)

In August 2016, Calhoun assumed the role of the inaugural President of the Berggruen Institute, a think tank dedicated to exploring governance innovations and philosophical responses to global challenges, serving until June 30, 2018.^[11]^[61] During this period, he directed the institute's strategic focus toward integrating insights from human sciences, including philosophy and culture, with practical governance issues such as technological transformation and democratic sustainability.^[62]^[63] Calhoun spearheaded the launch of the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture, an annual award recognizing thinkers addressing profound societal questions, which debuted in 2016 and aimed to bridge intellectual inquiry with real-world policy implications.^[61] He also contributed to organizing events and initiatives that promoted interdisciplinary dialogue, including consultations on institutional reforms for addressing inequality and global interdependencies, drawing on empirical analyses of civil society dynamics.^[61]^[63] Upon his departure, Calhoun transitioned to a senior advisory position at the institute, where he continued influencing its agenda on long-term human prospects, though his presidential tenure emphasized foundational program development over ongoing operational leadership.^[61]^[12] This role marked a shift from Calhoun's prior academic administration to a think-tank environment prioritizing advisory synthesis of social theory with policy experimentation.^[64]

University Professor at Arizona State University (2018–present)

Calhoun assumed the role of University Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University in 2018, holding joint appointments across multiple schools to promote interdisciplinary integration.^[65] His efforts emphasize enhancing the social sciences' capacity through collaborations with natural sciences, engineering, and humanities, aiming to tackle pressing issues like sustainability and technological impacts on society.^[4]^[63] At ASU, Calhoun engages in teaching and mentoring, guiding students and faculty on topics including community formation, global affairs, and social transformation driven by technology.^[65] He leads projects exploring democracy, focusing on popular mobilizations for public voice and their interplay with institutional frameworks, as evidenced in his 2024 co-authored analysis questioning whether empowered citizens can counteract democratic erosion amid opaque political processes.^[30]^[66] Calhoun's research extends to infrastructure, viewing systems such as transportation, communications, and energy as foundational to social, economic, and political stability, with writings underscoring their role in enabling or constraining collective action.^[67] These pursuits align with broader examinations of technology's transformative effects, including digital networks' influence on civic engagement and governance.^[11] A milestone in this phase came with the 2025 Distinguished Career in Political Sociology Award from the American Sociological Association's Section on Political Sociology, affirming his sustained impact on understanding power, institutions, and social movements within democratic contexts.^[68]

Honors and Awards

Academic Fellowships and Honorary Degrees

Calhoun was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2015 for his work in social theory, historical sociology, and political economy.^[69] In the same year, he became a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, one of thirty-three scholars recognized for distinguished contributions to the social sciences.^[70] He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2012.^[4] Calhoun is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, elected in 2008.^[11] In recognition of his scholarly impact, Calhoun received the honorary degree of LL.D. from La Trobe University in 2005 and from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2013.^[12] He was further honored with the Sigillum Magnum, the University of Bologna's highest distinction for exceptional service to learning, in 2019.^[12]^[71]

Scholarly and Teaching Awards

Calhoun received the American Sociological Association (ASA) Section on Political Sociology's Award for Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship in 1995 for his book Neither Gods Nor Emperors: Students and the June 4 Movement.^[68]^[12] This award recognizes outstanding scholarly work advancing understanding of political processes through sociological analysis. In 2007, he was awarded the ASA Section on History of Sociology and Social Thought's Distinguished Book Award for Sociology in America: A History, which chronicles the development of the discipline in the United States.^[72]^[12] The following year, Calhoun earned the ASA Section on Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity's award for contributions exemplifying rigorous empirical and theoretical insights into social bonds and ethical dimensions of collective action.^[73] In 2025, Calhoun was honored with the ASA Section on Political Sociology's Distinguished Career Award, acknowledging his sustained influence on the study of nationalism, social movements, and global political dynamics over decades.^[68] For teaching excellence, Calhoun received the Order of the Golden Fleece from the University of North Carolina's undergraduate honor society in 1988, recognizing outstanding contributions to student learning and campus life.^[12] He was named Teacher of the Year by the New York University Department of Sociology in 2005 and Professor of the Year by Columbia University's Department of Sociology in 2006, awards based on peer and student evaluations of pedagogical innovation and impact in courses on social theory and public sociology.^[12]

Recent Recognitions

In 2023, Calhoun received the Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity Award from the American Sociological Association's (ASA) section dedicated to that field, recognizing his contributions to understanding the intersections of ethics, solidarity, and social structures.^[73] In 2025, he was honored with the Distinguished Career in Political Sociology Award by the ASA's Section on Political Sociology, acknowledging his longstanding influence on analyses of nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and democratic processes.^[68]

Key Publications

Authored Books

Calhoun's solo-authored monographs span empirical analyses of social movements, nationalism, and theoretical critiques of modernity, often drawing on historical case studies to interrogate concepts like class, community, and cosmopolitanism.^[74] His earliest monograph, The Question of Class Struggle: Social Foundations of Popular Radicalism during the Industrial Revolution (1982, University of Chicago Press), uses archival data from English working-class communities to argue that radicalism stemmed more from defenses of traditional social bonds and moral economies than from proletarian class consciousness alone, challenging orthodox Marxist interpretations.^[74] Neither Gods Nor Emperors: Students and the Struggle for Democracy in China (1994, University of California Press) provides an eyewitness-informed account of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, emphasizing how student activists drew on relational networks, public discourse, and nonviolent strategies rather than heroic individualism or abstract ideology to sustain their movement against state authority.^[75] In Critical Social Theory: Culture, History, and the Challenge of Difference (1995, Blackwell), Calhoun extends poststructuralist and Habermasian frameworks to advocate for a historically grounded social theory that integrates cultural specificity and power dynamics, critiquing universalist assumptions in favor of situated analyses of identity and inequality. Nationalism (1997, Open University Press and University of Minnesota Press) delineates nationalism as a modern ideology rooted in popular sovereignty and cultural solidarity, distinguishing it from ethnic primordialism through comparative historical evidence from Europe and beyond.^[74] Nations Matter: Culture, History, and the Cosmopolitan Dream (2007, Routledge) contends that national identities remain vital for democratic solidarity and ethical imagination, using case studies of globalization to rebut postnational theories as empirically premature and potentially corrosive to shared political agency.^[76]^[74] The Roots of Radicalism: Tradition, the Public Sphere, and Early Nineteenth-Century Social Movements (2012, University of Chicago Press) traces how Romantic-era radicals in Britain and France mobilized traditional narratives and emergent public spheres to foster collective action, demonstrating continuity between premodern communalism and modern contention.^[77]

Edited Volumes and Major Articles

Calhoun edited Habermas and the Public Sphere in 1992, a collection exploring Jürgen Habermas's theories on communicative action and the transformation of public discourse in modern societies, published by MIT Press.^[8] He followed this with Social Theory and the Politics of Identity in 1994, which examines identity formation amid social fragmentation, featuring contributions on ethnicity, nationalism, and cultural politics, issued by Blackwell Publishers.^[8] In 2007, Calhoun edited Sociology in America: A History, the American Sociological Association's centennial volume tracing the discipline's development through institutional, intellectual, and social contexts in the United States, published by the University of Chicago Press.^[78] Later works include Knowledge Matters: The Public Mission of the Research University (2011, co-edited with Diana Rhoten, Columbia University Press), addressing the role of universities in knowledge production and public policy.^[79] He co-edited Rethinking Secularism (2011, with Mark Juergensmeyer and Jonathan VanAntwerpen, Oxford University Press) and Habermas and Religion (2013, with Eduardo Mendieta and Jonathan VanAntwerpen, Polity), both interrogating intersections of faith, secularity, and democratic theory.^[80] More recently, The Green New Deal and the Future of Work (co-edited with Benjamin Y. Fong, Columbia University Press) analyzes economic transitions, labor, and environmental policy in response to climate challenges.^[80] Among Calhoun's major articles, "Nationalism and Ethnicity" (1993, Annual Review of Sociology) critiques primordialist and modernist views, emphasizing nationalism's embeddedness in cultural practices and social solidarity, garnering over 3,000 citations.^[81] "Nationalism and Civil Society: Democracy, Diversity and Self-Determination" (1993, International Sociology) explores tensions between national identity and civic pluralism in democratic contexts.^[8] In "Community Without Propinquity Revisited" (1998, Sociological Inquiry), he updates Raymond Williams's concept to assess how digital communications reshape urban social bonds beyond physical proximity.^[8] Recent contributions include "Democracy Is Incomplete" (2023, co-authored with Dilip Gaonkar and Charles Taylor), responding to critiques on democratic theory's gaps in addressing cultural and institutional deficits.^[82] These works highlight Calhoun's focus on nationalism's persistence against cosmopolitan ideals and the public sphere's evolution.^[81]

References

[1]
A brief history of LSE Directors and Presidents
Sep 12, 2016 · Craig Calhoun, Director 2012-2016. Craig Calhoun (1952-) was born in Watseka, Illinois. He studied in both the USA and Britain gaining his ...
[2]
About | Craig Calhoun
Craig Calhoun is a comparative and historical sociologist, social theorist, and scholar, known for his interdisciplinary work in anthropology, communications, ...
[3]
Craig Calhoun - CCCB
Craig Calhoun is recognised worldwide for his contributions in the fields of social theory, identity politics, nationalism, and analysis of democracy.
[4]
Craig Calhoun | ASU Search
Calhoun received his D.Phil. from Oxford University, combining politics, sociology, and history. He has previous degrees in anthropology from Manchester ...
[5]
[PDF] Untitled - Duke People
[ONE] Sociology in America: An Introduction. Craig Calhoun. The word sociology was invented (in its French spelling) by Auguste Comte in the 1830s. One of ...
[6]
Craig Calhoun and Lorne Craner: Promoting Democracy from the ...
Craig Calhoun has been the President of the Social Science Research Council since 1999. He is also University Professor of the Social Sciences at New York ...
[7]
About | Craig Calhoun
Prior to joining ASU, he served as president and director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), president of the Social Science ...
[8]
Craig Calhoun - Curriculum Vitae
University Professor of Social Sciences, 2018- ; With specific appointments in: School of Politics and Global Studies, School of Public Affairs, School for the ...Missing: background childhood
[9]
Where Craig Calhoun Comes Up With His Best Ideas
Apr 28, 2016 · I didn't live there—I was just born there. Watseka was the county seat and my father was minister of an even more obscure town—Cissna Park.Missing: early life
[10]
[PDF] CJC CV (academic May 2025) - ASU Search - Arizona State University
B.A., 1973, University of Southern California, Anthropology with cinema minor. ... with Craig Calhoun,” by Michael McQuarrie, Thesis Eleven, v. 84 #1: 104 ...
[11]
Craig Calhoun - University Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona ...
For 25 years, my attention was divided between intellectual pursuits and institutional leadership, not least as president of SSRC and LSE.
[12]
[PDF] further study in Sociology. - Craig Calhoun
D. Phil., 1980, Oxford University (St. Antony's College), Politics Faculty (Modern Social and. Economic History and Sociology). Thesis: Community, Class and ...
[13]
[PDF] The Question ot Class Struggle - Void Network
... Craig Calhoun is assistant professor of sociology at the . . -. -'. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. ' " ', ". ,. Page 3. Contents. •. •. Preface vu.
[14]
(PDF) Sociology and Its Public. Interview with Craig Calhoun
In this interview, Craig Calhoun retraces his peculiar trajectory that, from his first interests in realist cinema and anthropology, brought him to become ...
[15]
[PDF] The Rise and Domestication of Historical Sociology - Craig Calhoun
This emphasis on a fundamentally historical fonn of understanding is shared in varying degrees by a variety of intellectual traditions, from post fundamentalist ...
[16]
Nationalism - University of Minnesota Press
Nationalism. Craig Calhoun. ISBN: 9780816631216. Publication date: February 11th, 1998. 176 Pages. 5.50 x 8.50. Related Books. Previous slide in carousel.Missing: summary | Show results with:summary
[17]
Nationalism | Craig Calhoun
From the publisher: Nationalism is one of the most pressing of global problems, exacerbating ethnic conflicts and increasing the likelihood of war.Missing: summary | Show results with:summary
[18]
[PDF] NATIONALISM - Craig Calhoun
Central to the idea of civic nationalism is the possibility for citizens to adopt national identity by choice. This is most commonly discussed in terms of ...
[19]
[PDF] Nationalism and Ethnicity - Columbia University
Jul 25, 2000 · This is the view that modern nations are based on ethnic identities that are in some sense ancient, primordial, possibly even natural or at ...
[20]
[PDF] Nationalism and Cultures of Democracy - Craig Calhoun
From eighteenth-century revolutions to the nineteenth-century Springtime of the Peoples to mid-twentieth-century postcolonial independence movements,.
[21]
Craig Calhoun's Nations Matter | What Does It Mean to Be a Citizen?
According to Calhoun, history proves that nationalism has often served to promote the establishment of democratic institutions, as well as the equitable ...Missing: summary | Show results with:summary
[22]
NATIONALISM AND CIVIL SOCIETY: DEMOCRACY, DIVERSITY ...
This paper argues, to the contrary, that nationalism is produced by central features of the modern world, including the ongoing process of globalisation.
[23]
Nations Matter | Culture, History and the Cosmopolitan Dream
Apr 20, 2007 · Calhoun argues that, rather than wishing nationalism away, it is important to transform it. One key is to distinguish the ideology of ...Missing: arguments | Show results with:arguments
[24]
[PDF] Craig Calhoun - Nationalism, postnational identity, and the project of ...
In this respect, advocates of a “postnational” Europe—or world--do themselves and theory no favors by equating nationalism with ethnonationalism and ...<|separator|>
[25]
[PDF] POPULISM, NATIONALISM AND BREXIT - Craig Calhoun
In every case, populism is a powerful aspect of elite attempts to mobilize mass support. Yet in every case, the masses are frustrated partly with the ...Missing: detachment | Show results with:detachment
[26]
Book Reviews: Nations Matter. Culture, History and the ...
Calhoun argues that in factual terms nations and nationalism are not disappearing in a global world and that both are in fact more prominent with globalization.Missing: summary | Show results with:summary
[27]
Habermas and the Public Sphere - MIT Press
In this book, scholars from a wide range of disciplines respond to Habermas's most directly relevant work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere.<|separator|>
[28]
[PDF] Introduction: Habermas and the Public Sphere - Craig Calhoun
12 Civil society, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, developed as "the gen- uine domain of private autonomy [that] stood opposed to the state" (p. 12) ...
[29]
[PDF] Civil society and the public sphere - LSE Research Online
Society is held together not only by markets, formal agreements, and the power of the state but by common culture that underwrites consent. As Gramsci suggested ...
[30]
Democracy | Craig Calhoun
Craig Calhoun's work has addressed popular struggles for public voice and democracy, the relationship of popular struggles to 'republican' projects.
[31]
Civil Society and the Public Sphere - Arizona State University
May 1, 2012 · Civil Society and the Public Sphere. / Calhoun, Craig. The Oxford Handbook of Civil Society. Oxford University Press, 2012. Research output ...Missing: thesis | Show results with:thesis
[32]
The Public Sphere and Comparative Historical Research - jstor
A growing body of literature addresses emergent public spheres in non- Western societies (Eisenstadt 2002), including the question of emerging transnational ...
[33]
The Public Sphere in the Field of Power - jstor
Fraser, Nancy (1992) "Rethinking the public sphere: A contribution to the critique of actually existing democracy," in Craig Calhoun (ed.) Habermas and the ...
[34]
[PDF] Is It Time to Be Postnational? - Craig Calhoun
Though cosmopolitan thought often rejects nationalism as some combination of manipulation by the central state, ancient ethnic loyalty, or desire to benefit at ...Missing: critiques | Show results with:critiques
[35]
Cosmopolitanism and Its Discontents: Why Nations Still Matter
Mar 16, 2017 · Craig Calhoun is President of the Berggruen Institute. From 2012 to 2016, he was Director and President of the London School of Economics ...
[36]
[PDF] Cosmopolitanism and nationalismn - Craig Calhoun
But, and these are my themes, it is not at all clear (a) that cosmopolitanism is quite so different from nationalism as sometimes sup- posed, (b) whether ...
[37]
[PDF] Occupy Wall Street in perspective - Craig Calhoun
Occupy Wall Street was a thrilling protest that briefly dominated media atten- tion and reshaped American public life. As Todd Gitlin suggests, ...
[38]
Occupy Wall Street in perspective - Calhoun - Wiley Online Library
Mar 12, 2013 · Occupy Wall Street in perspective. Craig Calhoun,. Corresponding Author. Craig Calhoun. London School of Economics.
[39]
[PDF] 1 Information Technology and the International Public Sphere1 ...
The Internet is an important support also for global social movements and for local social movements ... Calhoun, Craig (2001a) “Civil Society/Public ...
[40]
[PDF] Community without Propinquity Revisited - Craig Calhoun
In the present essay I want (a) to challenge those exploring the social im- plications of computer networks to do so with a bit more rigorous understanding of ...
[41]
Computer Technology, Large-Scale Social Integration, and the ...
Computers and new communications technologies are widely expected to contribute to "decentralization" of society. While they may contribute to population ...
[42]
[PDF] The Idea of Emergency: Humanitarian Action and Global (Dis)Order
The humanitarianism of response suggests a world united by common humanity; the emergencies themselves reveal a world divided by deep material inequality, by ...Missing: globalism | Show results with:globalism
[43]
The idea of emergency: humanitarian action and global (dis)order
Sep 5, 2012 · Calhoun, Craig (2010) The idea of emergency: humanitarian action and global (dis)order. In: Fassin, Didier and Pandolfi, Mariella, (eds.) ...Missing: globalism | Show results with:globalism
[44]
[PDF] A World of Emergencies: - Craig Calhoun
The idea of humanitarian intervention entered routine discussion in the 1930s as Nazi atrocities gained more recognition and as efforts were made to care for ...Missing: globalism | Show results with:globalism
[45]
(PDF) Rethinking the Public Sphere - ResearchGate
Dec 15, 2015 · Rethinking the Public Sphere. January 2008. Authors: Craig Calhoun at Arizona State University · Craig ... critiques of the Internet and the ...
[46]
Craig Calhoun | University Center for Human Values
Calhoun's numerous articles address social, cultural, and political theory; social movements; technology and social change; publics and politics; community and ...
[47]
Craig Calhoun | American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Feb 4, 2023 · He was also a professor at NYU (where he founded the Institute for Public Knowledge), Columbia University, and UNC-Chapel Hill (where he founded ...
[48]
The Social Science Research Council: A Report – AHA
Nov 1, 2000 · The appointment of Calhoun, who has a wide range of research experience, reaffirms the council's focus on international social sciences. He has ...
[49]
[PDF] Integrating the Social Sciences: Area - Craig Calhoun
Article Author: Craig Calhoun. Article Title: Integrating the Social Sciences ... Social Science Research Council, 1923–1998. New York: Social Science.
[50]
Social Science Research Council, 1923-1998
The SSRC makes available interdisciplinary research to inform policy, academic discourse, and the public. These publications are freely accessible and ...Missing: expansions | Show results with:expansions
[51]
Understanding September 11 – Social Science Research Council ...
Calhoun, Craig Jackson, Understanding September 11 (The New Press, 2002). SSRC. Mobilizing social science for the public good. Support the Campaign. Subscribe ...
[52]
Shock and Awe: Interpretations of the Events of September 11
Phil Scraton was in a hotel room in Verona, watching the news on television (p. 1); Craig Calhoun was across the street from the World Trade Center (p. 1). 2.
[53]
[PDF] press release - Social Science Research Council
Jan 12, 2012 · The Social Science Research Council ... The president of the SSRC, Craig Calhoun, has noted that “nothing is more important to the future of.
[54]
Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa
The program currently operates to strengthen tertiary education in Africa by offering a sequence of fellowship opportunities for promising PhD students.
[55]
Creative Collaboration Highlights Psychology's Role in SSRC
Aug 14, 2011 · The Social Science Research Council champions cutting-edge ... SSRC President Craig Calhoun and Fiske first met there in the early ...Missing: expansion | Show results with:expansion
[56]
American unveiled as new head of LSE
Nov 24, 2011 · Professor Calhoun, who received his doctorate from the University of Oxford, has also taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ...
[57]
LSE Director Craig Calhoun discusses the legacy of World War 1 in ...
LSE Director Craig Calhoun discusses the legacy of World War 1 in the lead-up to a conference the School is hosting on Friday 3 October. http://bit.ly/1CncS5D .<|separator|>
[58]
Britain: leading, not leaving – the case for remaining in the ... - LSE
May 11, 2025 · Craig Calhoun (@craigjcalhoun) is Director and President of LSE. He is a world-renowned social scientist whose work connects sociology to ...Missing: directorship | Show results with:directorship
[59]
LSE director Craig Calhoun to step down
Dec 18, 2015 · The US sociologist has informed staff that he will not seek a second term as head of the London School of Economics.Missing: achievements | Show results with:achievements
[60]
Craig Calhoun is the new Director of the LSE - Crooked Timber
Nov 24, 2011 · My own observation is that career academics have consolidated their hold over senior leadership positions in UK universities over recent years.Missing: tenure reforms achievements<|separator|>
[61]
Dr. Craig Calhoun Retires as President of Berggruen Institute
May 21, 2018 · Craig Calhoun will retire as President of the Berggruen Institute, effective June 30, 2018. Dr. Calhoun will remain involved with the ...Missing: 2016-2018 | Show results with:2016-2018
[62]
Craig Calhoun
As a social theorist and historical and comparative sociologist, Calhoun has studied democracy and social movements, communications and the public sphere ...
[63]
Craig Calhoun, former president of London School of Economics ...
Jul 5, 2018 · Calhoun previously served as president of the Berggruen Institute, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, where his work has included developing an ...
[64]
London School of Economics Chief to Run Berggruen Institute
Feb 4, 2016 · His aspiration over the years to establish 'an institutional location for practical reason in public affairs' is a perfect fit with the mission ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[65]
Craig Calhoun: Home page
Craig Calhoun is University Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University where he holds joint appointments in multiple schools.Missing: background | Show results with:background
[66]
[PDF] Can Empowered Citizens Save Democracy? - Craig Calhoun
Dec 23, 2024 · In this connection, we stressed the 'opacity' of much contemporary politics, state administration, and large-scale social organization. Here ...
[67]
Infrastructure | Craig Calhoun - Arizona State University
Infrastructures are the bases on which social, economic, and political life rests. Some of the most important include transportation, communications, energy, ...Missing: mentoring writings
[68]
Political Sociology Award Recipient History
Aug 26, 2025 · The Section on Political Sociology's Distinguished Career in Political Sociology Award. 2025: Craig Calhoun, Arizona State University.
[69]
Professor Craig Calhoun FBA | The British Academy
Calhoun has also served as Director of the LSE, President of the Social Science Research Council and published analyses of the transformation of ...
[70]
New fellows at Academy of Social Sciences
Mar 13, 2015 · Thirty-three leading social scientists have been just elected as fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences ... Among academics honoured are Craig ...
[71]
Selection of events at the University of Bologna 2019 - Unibo
Awarding of the Seal of the University of Bologna to Craig Calhoun ...
[72]
History of Sociology and Social Thought Award Recipient History
Aug 26, 2025 · 2007: Craig Calhoun, Sociology in America: A History. University of Chicago Press 2007. 2006: Anthony J. Blasi, Tennessee State University ...
[73]
Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity Award Recipient History
Aug 26, 2025 · 2025: Philip S. Gorski, Yale University. 2024: Michèle Lamont, Harvard University. 2023: Craig Calhoun, Arizona State University. 2022 ...
[74]
Books | Craig Calhoun - Arizona State University
The Question of Class Struggle: Social Foundations of Popular Radicalism During the Industrial Revolution. (1982) University of Chicago Press and Basil ...
[75]
Neither Gods nor Emperors: Students and the Struggle for ...
Neither Gods nor Emperors: Students and the Struggle for Democracy in China. ISBN-13: 978-0520211612, ISBN-10: 0520211618. 3.7 on Goodreads.
[76]
Nations Matter: Culture, History and the Cosmopolitan Dream - 1st Edit
In stock Free deliveryNations Matter Culture, History and the Cosmopolitan Dream. By Craig Calhoun Copyright 2007.
[77]
The Roots of Radicalism - The University of Chicago Press
The book The Roots of Radicalism: Tradition, the Public Sphere, and Early Nineteenth-Century Social Movements, Craig Calhoun is published by University of ...
[78]
Sociology in America: A History, Calhoun
The book Sociology in America: A History, Edited by Craig Calhoun is published by University of Chicago Press.
[79]
Knowledge Matters - Columbia University Press
Edited by Diana Rhoten and Craig Calhoun. Columbia University Press. Knowledge Matters. Share. Pub Date: February 2011. ISBN: 9780231151146. 560 Pages. Format ...Missing: volumes | Show results with:volumes
[80]
Edited Books | Craig Calhoun
Edited Books · The Green New Deal and the Future of Work · Habermas and Religion · Rethinking Secularism. (with Mark Juergensmeyer and Jonathan VanAntwerpen), ( ...Missing: volumes | Show results with:volumes
[81]
‪Craig Calhoun‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬
Rethinking secularism. C Calhoun, M Juergensmeyer, J VanAntwerpen. OUP USA, 2011. 959, 2011 ; Dictionary of the social sciences. C Calhoun. Oxford University ...
[82]
Articles | Craig Calhoun - Arizona State University
Calhoun, C. (2023). Democracy Is Incomplete: Response to Crawford, Hechter, Zielonka, and Zipperstei (with Dilip Gaonkar and Charles Taylor)