The conservative tradition in sociological thought

A public lecture on how conservative ideas have shaped sociology, held in person at LSE and streamed online. It is hosted by the Department of Sociology and forms part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026. The speaker is Shamus Khan, Willard Thorp professor of sociology and American Studies at Princeton University, whose lecture is based on a paper co-authored with former LSE Director Craig Calhoun, and it is chaired by sociologist Sam Friedman. The lecture explores themes including hierarchy and authority, appeals to nature and God, family and community, and traditionalism and skepticism toward narratives of progress.