What do a paper route, a law school detour, and life between blue- and white-collar worlds have to do with becoming a sociologist?

In a recent feature for the Kohli Foundation for Sociology, I reflected on how growing up in diverse social worlds shaped my early sociological insight—and how a single classroom experience redirected my career.

I also explore why the entrepreneurial dream persists, despite overwhelming odds, and how sociology’s critical lens continues to challenge dominant narratives of merit and success. Our discipline’s power lies in its ability to name uncomfortable truths—especially in an age of deepening inequality.

The Kohli Foundation posed three deceptively simple questions. My answers speak to the heart of what it means to do sociology today.

🔗 Read the full version on the Kohli Foundation’s website: 3 Questions for Howard Aldrich – Kohli Foundation