Vol 11, No 2, 2012 pp. 201-210
UDC 316.1
THE PLACE OF SOCIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY AND THE PROFESSIONALIZATION OF SOCIOLOGY
- The Visibility of Sociology as a Discipline –
Biljana Prodović
University of Niš, Faculty of Philosophy, Serbia
Email: biljanaprodovic@gmail.com
The sudden changes that the contemporary world has seen during the last several years pose the following question: to what extent can sociology provide an answer, theoretically and methodologically. Ever since it emerged as a science, sociology has been faced with various difficulties, including those pertaining to the definition of its object, which is the result of the underdeveloped state of this particular science and the specificities of its subject matter (primarily its historicalness). Within the discipline itself, there is some confusion about what it actually means to be a sociologist. The fact that many people outside sociology (including non-sociologists at universities) do not take sociology seriously would be easier to accept if sociologists themselves did not occasionally have such thoughts as well. Still, anyone who participates in the various sociological gatherings cannot help noticing the self-doubt and even clear dissatisfaction with the fate of the sociologist today.
Sociology must go back to the ''great'' questions, say Berger and Kelner, thereby referring to the questions about the very nature and structure of the modern world. In other words, it is not important only how to be, but also what it means to be a sociologist.
The paper analyses the position of sociology as a profession. Because of the way in which it emerged after the Second World War and the way it has been developing, the position of sociology has oscillated with political changes, which have determined its development. Sociology has developed against two backgrounds: the political and sociological context, in which it has been instrumentalized by politics, on the one hand, and the ontological and theoretical one, as a "younger and more immature sister of philosophy''.
Since the classic results of sociology represent the foundation of all the important social sciences and the humanities, sociology could be a transdisciplinary spiritual field in which those sciences can cooperate and communicate most profitably. It is through a rational dialogue among the humanities that sociology can be best and sustainably revived. In that way, it would not only regain the status it used to have but would also attain a new, more lasting one.
Key words: sociology, sociological profession, principles of sociology, professionalization of the sociologist, sociological knowledge.
MESTO SOCIOLOŠKOG ZNANJA U SAVREMENOM DRUŠTVU I PROFESIONALIZACIJA SOCIOLOGIJE
- Vidljivost sociologije kao discipline –
Nagle promene do kojih je došlo u savremenom svetu u poslednjih nekoliko godina nameću pitanje: u kojoj meri sociologija može u teorijskom i metodološkom pogledu da odgovori na njih. Od svog nastanka sociologija se suočava sa teškoćama i različitim pristupima u definisanju svog predmeta što je uslovljeno njenom nerazvijenošću i specifičnostima predmeta (pre svega njegovom istoričnošću). Postoje zbrke u okviru same discipline u vezi sa pravilnim razumevanjem toga šta znači baviti se sociologijom. Činjenica da mnogi izvan discipline ne shvataju sociologiju ozbiljno (uključujući i ne-sociologe na univerzitetu) bio bi lakši zalogaj da se iste nedoumice nisu uvukle i u redove samih sociologa. Pa ipak, svako ko obilazi različite skupove posvećene ovoj disciplini ne može a da ne uoči sumlje u sebe, i često neskriveno nezadovoljstvo sudbinom sociologa u ovom vremenu.
Sociologija se mora vratiti onim "velikim" pitanjima, poručuju Berger i Kelner, misleći pri tom na pitanja o samoj prirodi i ustrojstvu modernog sveta. Drugim rečima, nije presudno samo kako biti, već i šta znači biti sociolog.
U radu se analizira položaj sociologije kao profesije. Zbog načina kako je nastala posle II svetskog rata i kako se razvijala, položaj sociologije oscilirao je sa političkim promenama što je determinisalo njen razvoj. Ukratko, sociologija se razvijala u dva okruženja: u političko-društvenom kontekstu kao "produžena ruka politike", i u spoznajno-teoretskom kao "mlađa nedorasla sestra filozofije".
Sociologija bi, budući da su njeni klasični rezultati već ugrađeni u tkivo svih važnijih društvenih i humanističkih nauka, mogla da bude transdisciplinarno duhovno polje na kojem je moguć njihov najracionalniji susret i najplodnija uzajamna saradnja i komunikacija uopšte. Posredujući u racionalnom dijalogu među humanističkim disciplinama, sociologija se najpre, najbolje i najperspektivnije može oživeti. Time bi ne samo povratila onaj ugled koji je nekad imala nego bi stekla novi, veći i trajniji.
Ključne reči: sociologija, poziv sociologije; principi sociologije; profesionalizacija sociologa; sociološko znanje.
