Lauren Langman is Professor of Sociology at Loyola University. He received his Ph.d in Human Development from the University of Chicago. Although he had planned a career in psychology, as a result of participation in civil rights and anti war movements, he moved to sociology as a way of understanding that social conflict was based on group membership and interests rather than individual personality. Thus, as a result, his work as a sociologist has always had an interdisciplinary focus largely concerned with the relations of the historically instantiated social structure and culture to the individual. This approach has informed his work since early empirical research on anti-war demonstrations, parent child relationships and his most recent publications in theory and substantive concerns with contemporary aspects of social structure and subjectivity in such realms as consumption, nationalism, alienation and most recently, the anti globalization movements.
His work has generally linked the main currents of sociological frameworks with critical, progressive traditions. Thus for example, he is on the editorial boards of Sociological Theory and Current Perspectives in Social Theory, but at the same time, he also serves on the boards of Critical Sociology and Cy. Rev. He is a member of several sections of the American Sociological Association (ASA), but most active in the Theory section and the section on Marxist Sociology, having held offices (chair, secretary, council) as well as
having organized a number of sessions in each. He is also a member of the Social Psychology, Sociology of Emotion (a founding member), and Political Sociology sections. Last year for the ASA, at the request of the President, he organized a special session on the legacy of C. W. Mills. For next year, 2002, he
has organized a session on anti-globalization movements. He is also active in the Midwest Sociological Association and the International Sociological Association, being a member of RC 16, Theory and RC 36,
Alienation Theory and Research where he is currently treasurer and program organizer for the 2002 meetings in Brisbane. He is also a founding member of the Global Studies Association and organizer of their forthcoming meeting in Spring, 2002 devoted to Globalization and the Digital Divide.
Dr Langman's email is LLPSN@aol.com
