Sociologist unbound: A celebration of the work of Jacklyn Cock
Abstract We are gathered here today to celebrate the work of Jacklyn Cock. It is a time to rejoice publicly at a working life of exceptional creativity. This is a happy event. I have used the verb unbound in the title of this introduction to the working life of Jackie as hers is a career that has not been tied down by conventional notions of what role a middle class white women sociologist ought to play. Instead she has crossed the boundaries of race, of gender and, above all, the boundary that separates academic theory and research from the transformation of the lives of ordinary people. This direct link between scholarly research and social activism and advocacy is what makes her working life exceptional.