Welcome to the web-site of

Harry F. Dahms

Associate Professor of Sociology
and
Associate Director,
Center for the Study of Social Justice

Ph.D., New School for Social Research, 1993

my departmental web-page

curriculum vitae

Department of Sociology
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-0490
ph:  (865) 974-7028
fax: (865) 974-7013
email:  hdahms@utk.edu




INTERESTS

Classical Social Theory
Contemporary Sociological Theory
Critical Social Theory
Globalization
Social Justice
Economic Sociology
Comparative Sociology
Sociology of Science Fiction

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"Modern society is in such a state that not only is it the worthless that commands the pay, but the truly valuable is systematically kept out of view. Those having the least merits have the most love of applause. It is sufficient to make one believe in the alleged degeneracy of the times to see the zeal for 'cheap notoriety' evinced by persons having no merits, and the willingness of society at large, through the press and in other ways, to co-operate in the work. The really meritorious person shrinks from notoriety, and scorns applause not rendered to merit alone. Yet merit is rarely sufficiently appreciated to secure its own public mention. It has, therefore, come to be a tolerably safe inference, whenever such public mention is made, to assume that it has been directly or indirectly procured by the party complimented. Such a state of things makes merit take precautions against being put forward by appreciative friends, lest the manner of the commendation be misunderstood, and the belief be entertained that it had stooped to advertise itself. In this way the true condition of society is not only never known, but what is precisely the reverse of its true condition is publicly believed to exist. The light portion, representing mediocrity, is bolstered up and kept prominently conspicuous, while the serious and solid portion willingly aids the former in keeping itself constantly out of view."

Lester F. Ward, Dynamic Sociology (1883)


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Multimedia

Lecture on "Possibilities and Dangers of a Guaranteed Basic Income" (in German)
...held May 20, 2007, at Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany

available online at Uniradio Magdeburg

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Video clip introducing students to a distance-learning course in
Sociological Theory at Florida State University (2004)

Realplayer