“It’s not so much the Radius, but rather the Orbit that Matters”: on Professor Batygin’s Style of Scientific Communication. Interview and publication of letters prepared by D.M. Rogozin

Abstract

This interview is dedicated to Gennady Semyonovich Batygin, a scientist renowned by several generations of sociologists in Russia. His intellectual heritage consists of scientific articles, texts of editorial introductions to scientific monographs, a textbook on the methodology of sociological research, and Russia’s leading sociological journal. His intellectual heritage also includes a system of values, norms, rules for the production of sociological knowledge, which Batygin passed on to his students and colleagues in personal communication and was absorbed by his students. The interview cites a sociologist’s experience working under the guidance of G.S. Batygin in a sociological research project on Russian entrepreneurship in the 1990’s. It speaks about collaboration with Batygin in working on a PhD dissertation in sociology with him as the academic advisor. The influence of Batygin’s professional and moral authority over those who had the opportunity to study with him is discussed, as well as how the scientific ethos can be expressed in personalities and passed on to the next generation. The letters show Batygin’s unique style of interaction with graduate students. This style is distinguished by: collegiality in work, teaching a graduate student a specific set of rules, the norms of the sociological craft, involvement in open and at the same time responsible self-regulating professional activity.