Naslov
The calling of sociology: beyond valuedetached professionalism and partisan activism

Autori
Matić, Davorka

Izvornik
Revija za sociologiju (0350-154X) 47 (2017), 2; 177-205

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
public invisibility of sociology ; Burawoy ; Mannheim ; public sociology ; role of values ; publicly engaged sociology

Sažetak
Michael Burawoy’s project of public sociology provoked major debate within the sociological community about the tasks and nature of the discipline. While most participants in the debate are sympathetic to his call for a more publicly engaged sociology, many criticise him for politicising the discipline and claim that sociologists should not devote their work to promoting social justice or certain political agendas but concentrate instead on building an objective, evidence-based knowledge of society. This article argues that neither Burawoy’s public sociology nor the so-called scientific sociology constitute a proper way to address the problems of sociology’s identity crisis and its growing public irrelevance. It is suggested that Karl Mannheim provided the best answer to the questions of what it means to practice sociology and for what purposes it should be practiced. Following Mannheim’s line of thinking, the article argues that the real issue is not whether sociologists should be committed to promoting social justice or accumulating objective knowledge about society, but whether they can offer a comprehensive interpretation of the current situation and develop effective strategies to transform the existing patterns of society

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Sociologija

POVEZANOST RADA