Envisioning Sociology

Examines the continuing relevance of early British sociologists Victor Branford, Patrick Geddes, and their associates.
Envisioning Sociology is a landmark work, the first major study of the founding of sociology in Britain and the enormous contributions made by the intellectual circle led by Victor Branford and Patrick Geddes. Authors John Scott and Ray Bromley chronicle the biographical connections and personal partnerships of the circle’s key participants, their international connections, their organization-building work, and the business activities that underpinned their efforts. Branford and Geddes fashioned an ambitious and wide-ranging interdisciplinary vision, drawing on geography, anthropology, economics, and urban planning, in addition to sociology. This vision was an integral part of a project of social reconstruction, a “third way” eschewing both liberalism and communism in favor of cooperation, redistribution, and federalism. Envisioning Sociology uncovers a previously hidden history of the social sciences, giving readers a fascinating glimpse into early twentieth-century social science and political economy, while demonstrating the contemporary relevance of the ideas of these underrated figures. Although Branford and Geddes failed to establish the grand sociology they envisioned, their ideas helped develop the theory and practice of community development, participatory democracy, bioregionalism, historic preservation, and neighborhood upgrading.
John Scott is Professor of Sociology at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom. His many books include Sociological Theory: Contemporary Debates, Second Edition; Conceptualising the Social World: Principles of Sociological Analysis; and Sociology, Fourth Edition (coauthored with James Fulcher). Ray Bromley is Professor of Geography and Planning at the University at Albany, State University of New York. His books include Planning for Small Enterprises in Third World Cities.