In the 1991 book that popularised that term, the sociologist James Davison Hunter recorded a European friend expressing surprise that Americans "typically conduct their lives in private and with little controversy".
Law professor Benny Tai turned himself in at on Wednesday afternoon, along with his two co-founders, the Rev Chu Yiu-ming and sociologist Chan Kin-man, according to local media.
In DECC, as well as stickers showing people the stairs as a reminder not to use the lift unnecessarily, staff get regular briefings about energy saving and talks from outside speakers such as celebrity sociologist and Third Way pioneer Anthony Giddens, and Science Museum director Chris Rapley, while a competition to cut energy use is about to be launched between different floors.
"We're living longer, healthier lives than any previous generation but, curiously, worrying about ageing younger," writes Anne Karpf, writer, sociologist and author of How to Age. "This means that we are going to be worried for an awfully long time".
"We are not at the point of outright panic yet but people are clearly very worried," said Mouriki, a sociologist.
The sociologist saw group-joiners, people for whom the exclusivity of Oink was precisely its appeal.
There was outrage last week over management's treatment of Zineb El Rhazoui, the Moroccan-French sociologist and writer, who is living in virtual hiding after death threats.
The sociologist Bruno Latour warns us not to speak airily of "potential", reminding us that we have to actually do the work of bringing some state of affairs into being before we can know whether it was indeed a possible future state of the system – and also that work is never accomplished without some cost.
As Dr Cheryl Cooky, a sports sociologist at Purdue University and a co-author of the US TV study, puts it: "What you still hear from women is that their status as sports fans is constantly questioned and interrogated.
But it is true that the rise of ethical shopping, or what US sociologist Juliet Schor calls "conscious consumption", has made limited headway in fashion.
"Many of these criminals arrive with little religious culture," says Farhad Khosrokhavar, a sociologist.
