Page 78 - The ISA Handbook in Contemporary Sociology

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SOCIOLOGICAL PRACTICE 49

This development in sociological theory society (Li, 1999). When liberal economic
took place in the same period when liberals activities were encouraged at the end of the
in the USA and social democrats in Europe 1970s, departments of sociology were re-
were losing their grip on the dominant polit- established as an answer to social problems
ical discourse. This new emphasis in socio- following the rapidly emerging social
logical theory corresponds to the increasing changes (Li, 1999). Still, the government
role of the acting subject that Dean (1999) ‘discourages free discourse about political
and Cruikshank (1999) saw as the hallmark ideas’ so mainstream Chinese sociology has
of the current mode of governmentality. limited its attention to ‘social problems that
McLain (2002: 268) suggested a two-way confronted economic development and social
relationship between sociological theory and stability, such as population growth, urban
the wider society: ‘From a reflexive perspec- poverty, unemployment and crime’(Li, 1999:
tive, applying sociology is a redundancy: 275). This development is in many ways
sociological knowledge is always applied in comparable to the situation in the Soviet
ways that have transformative consequences Union (Nikitin, 2001) and several other com-
for both sociology and society’. Sociological munist states, where sociology was also sus-
thinking may have an impact through the pended for considerable periods of time.
education of social workers or the general Similarly, parallels can be drawn with the
public debate, and the public debate might European South when dictatorial regimes in
influence the content of new sociological Greece, Spain and Portugal were in control
theory when academic sociologists try to of the political process. The Madrid ISA
produce socially relevant and applicable Congress, in 1990 signalled the renaissance
theories, or try to answer questions posed by in social studies in Iberia, but not in Greece
local authorities or the public debate. where to this day law, theology, philosophy,
The perspective of pervasive trends in gov- architecture and journalism appear to play the
ernance can help us understand the obstacles role of substitute social sciences (Tsobanoglou,
that any attempt at establishing a context- 2000).
independent applied form of sociology will
face. Interventions that unleash the unique
qualities of sociology require insight into the
dominant discourse on governance. One has SOCIOLOGICAL INTERVENTION AT
to be able to decide whether to confront and THE MESO-LEVEL
expose it, or simply adapt to it. This aspect
of the conditions for sociotechnics was not In articles from the 1980s, James March lib-
acknowledged by Podgórecki and others in erated himself from the ‘myth of rationality’
the early discussions on sociotechnics. It in social science when addressing issues of
leaves sociological practice in a more pro- organizations. He claimed that much of the
found dilemma of, on the one hand, adapting organizational reality might better be seen as
to a form of governance and, on the other products of ongoing performance and institu-
hand, maintaining a critical distance from tionalized ways of tackling problems and
its goals, premises and epistemological pretending to be in charge (March, 1984;
framework. 1988). Engaging in intervention, for example
Historical experience shows that sociology by providing training to managers, involves
tends to be perceived as a threat by totalitarian entering into a discursive field that tends to
or authoritarian regimes. Sociology in China be populated by concepts that have been suc-
was banned between 1950 and 1979. Though cessfully promoted by members of what has
the sociological tradition in China before 1950 been called the ‘guru industry’ rather than
aimed at practical innovations, the Communist having proved to be effective rational solutions
Party did not want any competing discourse of to well-defined problems (Collins, 2000).