Abstract
This paper analyses the interrelations between academic disciplines and society beyond academia by the case of sociology in Norway. For that purpose, this paper introduces the concept of disciplines’ societal territories, which refer to bounded societal spaces that are shaped by the knowledge of a discipline, premised on the linkages between the discipline and its audience. By mapping sociologists’ reported contributions to societal changes beyond academia, the paper firstly shows how societal territories are established by sociologists’ recurring engagement with certain topics and research users. Secondly, it traces the interactions between researchers and their users, and identifies four ideal typical pathways by which the cognitive territory of Norwegian sociology is transformed into societal territories. A key observation is that the establishment of societal territories is co-determined by the structures of research use among its audience. As for the case of sociology in Norway, questions therefore arise over the interdependency between sociologists as knowledge ‘suppliers’ and the ‘demand side’ for research, and the autonomy of the sociological discipline in selecting its focus of attention.
Highlights
Despite the surge of interdisciplinary research as a strategy to solve society’s grand challenges (Lyall et al 2013; Lindvig and Hillersdal 2019), universities and other academic institutions still tend to organize their academic activities in departments1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)S
This paper introduces the concept of disciplines’ societal territories, which refer to bounded societal spaces that are shaped by the knowledge of a discipline, premised on the linkages between the discipline and its audience
As sociological research has concentrated its empirical efforts around certain topics and its stakeholders, this has shaped the cognitive outlook of the discipline and what sociologists see as relevant in their research
Summary
Despite the surge of interdisciplinary research as a strategy to solve society’s grand challenges (Lyall et al 2013; Lindvig and Hillersdal 2019), universities and other academic institutions still tend to organize their academic activities in departments1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)S. The other half is employed in so-called research institutes which form a considerable part of the Norwegian research sector and have research and development as their core activity These institutes have a hybrid character by being committed to both academic and user-driven concerns (Gulbrandsen 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
