Sociology for Society, Society for Sociology, or Sociology for Sociology: Which Is Correct?

The article discusses advantages and limitations of modern sociological activity in the context of socio-humanitarian knowledge crisis. The key idea of the article is that attention to intrascientific problems of sociology may help increase the collective capital of the symbolic power of sociological science in Russia and elsewhere. At the same time, in the light of current theoretical disputes and taking into account Russian and global sociopolitical conditions, a need to ceaselessly defend the scholarly status of sociology is emphasized. Scholars are usually making attempts to conceptualize the scientific status of sociology by defining its attributive features. The integral criteria of the scientific nature of sociology are: nomenclature of scientific specialties, educational standards, professional communities, academic structures, empiricism, methodologism. However, each regional sociological community has its specific scientific life world, rules of the game, professional thesaurus, as well as cognitive and social mission. The author believes that sociology claims to fulfill cognitive and managerial functions, as well as an ideological one, which is expressed in the formation of moral and social guidelines. At this point, there is a tendency to a methodological turnaround to the softening of the research style and toolkit in sociology today. The author shows that sociological knowledge is the intellectual vaccine of society against social regression despite its implicit application potential. The article also outlines the author's vision of the sociological reflection's role not only for “ordinary people”, but also for sociologists themselves. Such a big attention to opposition between “sociology for sociology” and “sociology for society” is determined by the author's interpretation of sociology as а polyparadigmatic and multidisciplinary science aiming at solving the contemporary society's complex problems, including in equal measure the problems of scientific competition, cooperation, and career in the sociological community.

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