Discipline Of Sociology Research Articles

Sociological education in Russia: content diversity and institutional limitations

Sociological education in Russia continues to develop under the conditions of constant changes occurring both on its external contour and within the sociological educational community. Statistical data allow us to assert that the decline in SCC and the number of students has stopped in the last five years; moreover, there has been an increase in the contingent of sociology students. There has been a sharp decline in sociological education in non-state universities, the share of students studying on a part-time and contractual basis. The ratio of full-time and part-time education in Bachelor’s degree amounted to 86 and 14%, respectively, in Master’s degree 88 and 12%. Special attention is paid to the most acute problem related to the development of draft FSES HE 4 and the probable transition to it in the near future. In the most unfavorable forecasts, sociology education is seriously threatened by the loss of identity. In order to understand the most acute problems that prevent sociological education from being positioned as an integral, established educational process, the curricula of 49 universities that implement sociology training programs were studied. The sample included universities from the RAEX ratings — the subject rating for sociology and the top-100 best universities in Russia, as well as from the Interfax rating of the top-100 universities in Russia. Correlation of the profiles declared by universities with their subject content, as well as blocks of general sociological and special sociological disciplines with blocks of selected instrumental disciplines, practices, socio-humanities and general professional disciplines allowed us to identify a number of features and trends in the implementation of educational programs for training sociologists. As a result, two tendencies were revealed: one is the emergence of signs of the emerging unification of educational programs in sociology, which occurs in the implementation of the profile “Sociology” in classical universities, and the other is the mass implementation of unbalanced educational programs that contain obvious bias towards a certain block of disciplines and do not provide a full-fledged implementation of the declared profile.

The Importance of Contexts: A Q&A with the Graduate Editorial Board

Over its nearly quarter-century existence, Contexts has relied on the contributions of dozens and dozens of talented, insightful, brilliant, dedicated, and hilarious graduate students, many of whom have gone on to become thought leaders within and beyond the discipline of sociology. In this training ground, they learn about the inner workings of an academic journal and a public-facing magazine—as well as the synergies and tensions that arise when collaborating with a team of editors to craft a publication meant to be both. Graduate editors’ roles involve tasks as disparate as searching for just the right images to help bring an article to life, conducting and producing video interviews with feature article authors, curating our dynamic blog, and selecting, pitching, writing, and editing research briefs that help us all appreciate the vast array of exciting new work published across a range of journals. In this conversation, faculty co-editors, Amin Ghaziani and Seth Abrutyn, and long-time managing editor Letta Page sit down with University of British Columbia sociology graduate students Sophie X. Liu, Parker Muzzerall, Colter J. Uscola, and Rose Xueqing Zhang, as well as Elena G. Van Stee at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk about their experiences at the magazine and their vision for it going forward.

VEPRe. A Mixed-Method Approach for Including Sociological Profiles in Audience Segmentation for Communication Campaigns

The VEPRe model aims at providing practical recommendations in times of crises through a mixed-method approach for audience segmentation leading to the creation of sociological profiles. The model inherits from theoretical models in audience segmentation from the distinct disciplines of marketing, psychology, sociology, linguistics, and anthropology. We propose a model divided into four main dimensions: values, emotions, practices, and relations to the norm. This model, whose approach is deliberately empirical, is an answer to the limits of entirely statistical approaches that occasionally overlook some individuals, their systemic properties, and their complexity. In this model, audience segmentation is predictive as it aims to define levers of action for each persona that lead to conversion, empowerment, a mind-shift, higher trust, role-modeling, or a better understanding of a given situation. The VEPRe method is inclusive (it allows individuals to belong to several groups) and flexible (it evolves over time and opens the way to the evolution and change of individuals). This grouping method also encourages the completion and mutual support between segments; it is a peer-supporting method.

A Qualitative Study on the Relationship between Faculty Mobility and Scientific Impact: Toward the Sustainable Development of Higher Education

Faculty mobility is one of the most important research issues in the field of higher education. Reasonable faculty mobility can actively promote the fair, coordinated, balanced, healthy, and sustainable development of higher education. Scientific impact is the best proof of faculty members’ research abilities and is often represented by the quality of their articles. In particular, the gradual increase in citations of high-quality papers is undoubtedly an important reflection of healthy development in the academic field. This paper aims to explore the influence of faculty mobility on scientific impact, while comparative analysis is used to investigate whether there are disciplinary differences in the relationship between faculty mobility and scientific impact. Four major disciplines—sociology, mathematics, mechanical engineering, and philosophy—are selected as the scope of this study. Articles in these four major disciplines from 2000 to 2020 are obtained from the Web of Science, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test are used to analyze the collected data. The results indicate the following: (1) faculty mobility has increased, with differences across disciplines; (2) mobility leads to a decrease in the number of citations, which decreases significantly with increased mobility frequency; and (3) the impact of mobility has disciplinary differences, with a relatively obvious decrease in mechanical engineering.

Ibn Khaldun and Auguste Comte: A Comparative Analysis of the Founding Figures of Sociology

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the contributions of Ibn Khaldun, a 14th-century Arab scholar, and Auguste Comte, a 19th-century French philosopher, to the development of sociology. While Auguste Comte is widely acknowledged in the Western tradition as the “father of sociology,” Ibn Khaldun’s seminal work, “Muqaddimah”, place the Preliminary work for a systematic approach to social and historical analysis several centuries before Comte. Ibn Khaldun’s pioneering ideas on social cohesion, economic foundations, and the cyclical nature of civilizations challenge the conventional Eurocentric narrative that places the origins of sociological thought exclusively within Western intellectual history. This paper examines the methodologies, theories, and socio-historical contexts that shaped the works of both thinkers. Ibn Khaldun’s empirical observations and his concept of “asabiyyah” (social cohesion) are compared with Comte’s positivist approach and his “Law of Three Stages,” which posits the evolution of human thought from theological to metaphysical to positive. Despite the differences in their approaches, both scholars were deeply engaged with the fundamental processes governing social life and the forces driving social change. This study argues for a broader recognition of Ibn Khaldun’s role in the evolution of sociological thought, positioning him not merely as a precursor but as a co-founder of sociology alongside Comte. By doing so, it contributes to a more inclusive understanding of the global intellectual traditions that have shaped the discipline of sociology.

A Theoretical Field Study within the Discipline of Sociology of Education

A Theoretical Field Study within the Discipline of Sociology of Education

Activism and academia: an interdisciplinary dialogue on academic freedom and social engagement

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the questions of academic freedom, scholar activism, public science, and social engagement. The five authors represent scholars from different disciplines and scientific paradigms as well as diverse gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic, and class backgrounds, yet they share a joint passion for academic ‘activism’. The paper, therefore, reflects a multitude of transdisciplinary perspectives and positionalities. This dialogue was born out of the group’s desire to investigate the role of scientists in public and political matters, including engagement in social justice. The interdisciplinary nature of the dialogue allows for comparisons between how activism is defined, perceived, practiced, and considered (un)welcome in the disciplines of Sociology, Psychology, Law, Media Studies, and Medical Sciences.

An apology for utopia: on the return of utopian constructions to the mainstream sociological theorizing

Utopian thought, the aspiration toward idealized conditions, and the progression toward advancement have historically constituted a cornerstone of the modernist ethos. Sociology, as an intellectual offspring of the modern epoch, has inherently engaged with utopian constructs – directing its gaze towards conceivable societal futures. In the current era where global challenges – such as climate change, social inequality, and populist political movements – present complex social problems, the relevance of utopian thinking in sociology is underscored as a tool for envisioning transformative solutions. Nonetheless, contemporary developments within the discipline signal a marked attenuation of utopian fervor. This paper scrutinizes the factors contributing to the diminished enthusiasm for utopian speculations within sociological theory. The decline is largely attributed to a shift towards postmodern paradigms, characterized by skepticism towards grand narratives and a pervasive mid-20th-century critique of utopianism. Despite this, the heuristic value of utopian thinking as a methodological instrument for social analysis remains substantial. The central thesis advocates for a resurgence of utopian thought within sociological inquiry, proposing that its restoration functions as a potent critical apparatus. Amid pressing societal crises, sociological engagement with utopian ideals is not merely an academic exercise but a practical imperative. It empowers the discipline to envision alternative social configurations, articulate social aspirations, and pragmatically approach their realization. Utopian thought can stimulate innovative policy-making, encourage societal engagement, and help construct resilient social systems in the face of adversity. Presently, Russian sociology, reflective of broader global sociological trends, does not proffer a societal ideal, hence it navigates without direction, merely mapping and interpreting the existing social landscape. This trajectory has practical implications, potentially limiting the discipline’s ability to be prescriptive and proactive. Confronted with this reality, Russian sociologists – and the discipline more broadly – are urged to rekindle the utopian imagination as a pivotal component of their intellectual endeavor. In doing so, they may foster a renewed sense of direction and purpose in the discipline of sociology, making it all the more pertinent in addressing the multifaceted complexities of today’s world.

The promise of public sociology in India: Looking at Burawoy and beyond

AbstractThe trajectory of the academic discipline of sociology is an attestation to the quest for civility and sociability. We believe that the promise of public sociology will rejuvenate scholars to commit to better engagement with one another and with the public. We situate and draw from the scholarly contributions of Michael Burawoy to reflect on sociology's longstanding critical imagination, hoping that the world could be different. We place ourselves on the continuum of what is and what ought to be for better lived experiences and a sustainable planet. We draw from the work of sociologists in India, which continues to guide us to amplify the voices of the unheard and the issues of public concern. To be inclusive, sustainable, democratic, and humane, we need to move beyond structurally ingrained processes within academia and make bridges that are open to all. The deliberation furthered in this paper will encourage young scholars to be more concerned for engaging multiple publics and, thereby, help the discipline of sociology itself.

On the issue of rethinking the conceptual foundations of management as a social phenomenon

Social and digital technologies are exposing the impact of governance on society. It acts as a factor that simultaneously solves problems and poses threats to all of humanity as a result of mistakes, personal interests, and unforeseen consequences. With the growing influence of management on social processes, questions arise not only about how management is structured, but also what place it occupies in society. There is a need to rethink the phenomenon of management. Despite the prevalence of the term “management,” its understanding is far from ambiguous. An additional complexity is associated with the absence in foreign scientific literature of a term identical to the Russian word “management”. The article proposes that management is understood as a social phenomenon manifested in the activities of individual and group subjects, which is aimed at interfering in the natural course of events to bring them into line with subjective ideas. In this interpretation, management serves as the basis for the emergence of an artificial component. To understand the place given to management in sociology, the article analyzes the main sociological paradigms based on the typologies of K.Dubar, R.Collins, J.Ritzer. In the usual dualism, objectivism-subjectivism, structure-agent, society-personality, macrosociology-microsociology and the desire to overcome them, management is given a secondary, auxiliary role, and disciplines studying management (sociology of management, sociology of organizations) are given the place of industrial sciences. Each of the sociological paradigms is a response to the challenges of its time. The modern world is characterized by the growth of man-made artificial reality with a simultaneous increase in uncertainty. This actualizes new challenges, the answers to which the author proposes to look for in the problem field of management, expanding it to a general sociological theory. For this purpose, the social space is described as the intersection of the “natural-artificial” and “determined-uncertain” axes. The author sees an important difference between the sociology of management and other disciplines in the study of not only what one should “know in order to foresee, and foresee in order to be able,” but also how this “can” can be realized. The study of management covers the theory and practice of social and, rising to abstract levels, it does not lose pragmatism (it takes into account how knowledge is applied by social individuals in practice to solve real social problems).

In search of global sociology: a critical overview of competing research agendas

This article critically examines the idea of global sociology in relationship to the discipline of Sociology. While the discipline initially emerged in Western societies, in the post-1945 era, the field extended its reach to the rest of the world. The intellectual project of global sociology emerged in the 1960s and has been on the agenda of the International Sociological Association since at least 1990. Delving deeper than the mere notion of a sociology that is applied to the world, global sociology requires the re-examination of the role of core sociological concepts and narratives, especially regarding the extent to which these reflect Eurocentric preoccupations. Global modernisation (alongside Global Studies) and Postcolonial Sociology, two of the most widely known research fields claiming global intent, are examined as to whether they provide meaningful blueprints for global sociology. Both offer promising insights but also suffer from important drawbacks. Instead of attempting to unearth new grand narratives that would displace the narrative of Western modernity, though, it might be possible to envision a plurality of such narratives coming from different regions of the globe. Sociology can thus be conceived not as exclusively global but also as local and glocal.

Overcoming alphabetical disadvantage: factors influencing the use of surname initial techniques and their impact on citation rates in the four major disciplines of social sciences

This study investigates the factors influencing surname initial techniques in academic publications and their impact on citation counts. Focusing on the disciplines of Economics, Psychology, Political Science, and Sociology, we utilized data from the top 500 universities listed in the Shanghai List. Examining 70.377 academic publications from 2.278 academics published between 2011 and 2020, the study reveals that alphabetical ordering is more prevalent in Economics and Political Science. Academics with surnames placed at the beginning of the alphabet in these fields experience increased visibility and recognition. Conversely, those with surnames placed at the end of the alphabet face disadvantages and often employ strategies such as changing surname initials, using hyphenated surnames, or adding prefixes to improve their positioning in the author list of the article. These strategies, influenced by factors like the number of authors, country of origin, gender and whether the advantage is gained or not in positioning of author list, help mitigate the unfairness caused by alphabetization and positively contribute to authors’ citation statistics.

Multiple Enrollment Policy: Clustering Dropout and Graduation Constellations in Psychology and Sociology Bachelor’s Programs

In Austria, it is possible to enroll in an unlimited number of programs simultaneously and consecutively. Study duration and student performance are important performance indicators of the university system. The disciplines of psychology and sociology share similarities in their curriculum structures but are different in selectiveness due to their admission rules. They show differences in their motivations to enroll and their trajectories through higher education, leading to different constellations of “dropout” and “graduation.” The aim was to identify and compare groups of students’ outcomes in bachelor’s programs of psychology and sociology along the dimensions of workload and duration, incorporating the possibility of enrolling in multiple programs. The sample consisted of 6498 students between the academic years of 2010/11 and 2022/23 who either graduated or dropped out of one or more programs. Cluster analyses using four algorithms per individual outcome constellation, categorization, and aggregation of the results suggest a longer overall study duration for students with more than one program. In graduation–graduation and graduation–dropout clusters, groups with less overall workload could be identified. The transferability of passed exams may be an important component for students in multiple programs. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

How values relate to student achievement in upper secondary education: Integrating interdisciplinary perspectives on value beliefs in the school context

Educational research often refers to the subjective values assigned to aspects of education. Theoretical frameworks from the related disciplines of psychology and sociology applied to the context of education aim to better describe why some students are more motivated in school than others to understand differences in academic outcomes. In the current study, we followed an interdisciplinary approach that aimed to integrate psychological views regarding domain-specific value beliefs (i.e., intrinsic, attainment, utility, cost) and sociological views regarding domain-general values of education (i.e., stimulation, comfort, status, behavioral confirmation) and to investigate how they relate to academic success in upper secondary education. In a sample of 3,775 upper secondary school students in Germany, we found evidence that combining the two perspectives had incremental effects when predicting domain-specific achievement and GPA. We discuss how integrating interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives could foster communication between scientific disciplines and benefit future research in the field of motivation.

Challenges in Researching Endangered and Vulnerable Languages in Serbia within the Project “Vulnerable Languages and Linguistic Varieties in Serbia”: Methodological and Ethical Issues

In the paper we define, elaborate and illustrate what language documentation is, firstly by focusing on the global context where the large number of vanishing languages warrants such an approach in applied linguistics, and then by narrowing our scope to the local context of the Republic of Serbia, which itself has a certain number of endangered and vulnerable languages and language varieties. Indicating the discrepancy between official records found in world catalogues and databases (UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, Ethnologue, and The Catalogue of Endangered Languages (ELCat)) and the situation in the field as described by researchers familiar with the local context, we investigate the experiences of a team of researchers currently working on documenting Aromanian, Banat Bulgarian, Vojvodina Rusyn (Ruthenian), Judezmo (Ladino), Romani (Gurbet and Arli varieties), Megleno-Romanian and Romanian (Bayash and Vlach varieties) as endangered and vulnerable languages and language varieties in Serbia. Using interviews as a method for collecting data, conveying the researchers’ experiences in the field and their ways of dealing with various issues that come up in the process of language documentation, we have singled out two broad fields of topics. The first one tackles methodological challenges encountered prior and during field work, whereas the second focuses on ethical issues that necessarily must be resolved due to the participation of human subjects. In terms of the first group of topics, we have focused on research design (considerations involved in the project preparation), sampling (usually relying on researchers’ previous experiences more than on official records), personal involvement (often inevitable, but researchers do present strategies that help them maintain objectivity), and establishing first contact and recruiting informants (which also relies on previous work in the community). As for the second group of topics, that concerns ethical issue, the researchers have discussed the ways of getting informants’ consent for research and how they explain the importance of language documentation for that particular community and its members. Additionally, it addresses the issue of compensation that sometimes occurs, where informants expect either material or other kind of reward for helping out the research team. The paper also discusses how researchers deal with various sensitive topics that may range from personal issues to political opinions, and finally, the ethical responsibility that the researchers have towards the community they are studying in terms of giving something back and providing a sustainable relationship towards the language in question. We conclude by positioning the process of language documentation in the wider field of social studies, indicating its importance not only for sociolinguistics but also for the sociology of language, sociology of ethnicity and other related disciplines.

Understanding Inclusivity in Online Learning from a Socio-material Lens

The global pandemic in 2020 has led to a recent rise of digital technologies in higher education internationally, which seems to make learning less restricted in terms of time and space (Oztok, 2019) and enhance inclusion and engagement in learning. However, it is necessary to distinguish the presence and interaction in online learning from true connectedness and inclusivity. Networked learning, as a concept being constantly explored by a small group of researchers since the 1990s and attracting increasing current attention, is built around the different kinds of connections between students and instructors, as well as human and non-humans (NLEC, 2021). This paper emphasizes the need to be aware of the dimension of connection constructed through the assemblage of humans, materials and discourses. Adopting a socio-material perspective, the assumed high accessibility of online learning and the neo-liberal discourse of a ‘good learner’ are challenged and care is proposed as an approach to improve inclusivity in online learning in higher education. This paper is drawn from the data of a comparative research study that explores the online learning experience of undergraduate students in one case study university in China and the UK respectively. The research consisted of qualitative interviews with students and academics in the case discipline Sociology. The findings suggest a mismatch between students’ and teachers’ perception of what makes effective engagement. Although the teachers recognise certain difficulties in online courses, such as technical issues for organizing small group discussions, arguably the implied neo-liberal message is that hard-working ‘good’ students will always participate, regardless of where or how they learn. However, interviews with students in both contexts show that the specific surroundings in formal and informal educational settings, the interaction and support from peers, and the way their status is recognised in the community concomitantly mediate their experience, in addition to their abilities or motivation. This research contributes by highlighting the potential of emergent forms of networked learning in terms of unveiling the issues of established discourses including neoliberalism. It provides suggestions for future practices by proposing the role of care, supported by the findings, in tackling disengagement and exclusion, and pivoting students around supportive learning. Further, it adopts a socio-material perspective that fills a gap created by the dominance of human-centred research, generating reflections on the use of online materials in higher education.

Rhetorical analysis techniques in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy

The diversity of languages of the digital real has led to the creation of new communication models which incorporate formal, synthetic, and approved-by-areas codes for smart communication. The emblem of our society is the Mood virtual communicator: this replaces words and sentences with algorithms and acronyms. Our course of direction is heading inexorably towards digital codes that transmit pre-established semantics generated by a fixed sentence. Thus, it makes sense to discuss communication styles. And what does education consist of? Although we can take sides with fixed and standardized synthetic communication, we also call for respect for traditional and cultural values in individual societies. Still, we call into question the methodologies of study and reference models, which are currently used for virtual communication. The disciplines of theoretical linguistics, computational linguistics, mathematics, quantum physics, sociology, psychology, pedagogical theories, and other related subjects are all included in Social Sciences and Digital Media. This work aims to present an unwavering logical progression that transitions from normative grammar to formal grammar to then examine the features of a poetic text, such as Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, from several perspectives.

Utilizing Class Points in Islamic Religious Education With A Multidisciplinary Approach

Islamic religious education is one of the disciplines that play a crucial role with significant impacts on human life, from birth in this world to one's existence in the afterlife. In its current context, especially with the rapid development of information and communication technology, the learning of Islamic religious education can be made more effective and efficient for educators, students, and educational institutions. One way to achieve this is by utilizing the Classpoint learning application software, integrated with Microsoft PowerPoint, which facilitates the delivery of instructional material through engaging presentations. This article aims to describe the utilization of the Classpoint application in Islamic religious education learning with a multidisciplinary approach. The research employs a literature review study method with data collection techniques involving literature review and the Systematic Literature Review method. Tools such as Watase Uake, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique are used in the study. The research findings demonstrate that in Islamic religious education learning with a multidisciplinary approach, three perspectives – historical, anthropological, and sociological disciplines–can be effectively and efficiently conveyed through the Classpoint application.

Sociological education in Belarus: History and the present time

As has happened more than once in history, today education again needs a clear direction for its development. The whirlwinds of change calmed down, and it became obvious that a lot of good things had been lost: education is essentially conservative, and this is its great advantage. Education shows a path to eternal truths, to understanding the laws of evolution and the world of the mind. The university in this sense is not a place of services, bargain, purchase or sale, it is a temple of science and truth, which by definition cannot be widespread. The university lives its own life but in connection with the state, its history, national traditions and values. The article considers the problems of the transformation of sociological education and institutionalization of sociology in Belarus. The teaching of sociological disciplines began with the opening of the Belarusian State University (BSU) in 1921. Professor S.Z. Katzenbogen became the first teacher of sociological disciplines and the head of the department of sociology and primitive culture. This was followed by a more than a thirty-year forced break due to the removal of sociology from the curriculum, repressions of the 1930s, the Great Patriotic War and post-war reconstruction. The revival of sociology began in the 1960s with the efforts of G.P. Davidyuk and E.M. Babosov. Sociological departments were opened at the Academy of Sciences and leading universities; sociology became one of the main sources of knowledge about the contemporary society and social well-being. Despite all difficulties and obstacles, sociology has become in demand under the current uncertainty, global instability and social turbulence. However, the ignorance of national experience and educational traditions and mechanical borrowing of foreign practices is unacceptable and leads to stagnation.

An invitation to bring animals into feminist and queer sociology

AbstractThis paper presents an invitation to feminist and queer sociology to engage more frequently, enthusiastically, and deeply with animals. Feminist and queer sociology that attend to animals and animality stand to develop better knowledge for animals and animal studies and for women, queers, and feminist and queer sociology. Sociologists working from feminist and queer perspectives are also particularly well‐positioned within the discipline of sociology to contribute to and take advantage of the insights of the field of feminist animal studies. After a brief review of what feminist animal studies is, I proceed through three steps to elaborate the imperative for feminist and queer sociology to consider animals. First, I show how feminist animal studies as a theoretical perspective engages with issues that are core to feminist and queer sociology. Second, I center intersectional feminism and lay out how incorporating species can and does enhance our understanding of intersectional processes. Third, I present an ethical call, grounded in the traditions of feminist ethics and ecofeminism, to attend to species in feminist and queer sociology.