On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of Sociology
The paper deals with the question whether it is possible or not to analyze sociology as a social system with its own instruments, that is, the instruments of sociological analysis. In other words, the paper deals with the question whether a sociology of sociology is possible (and desirable). The fir...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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FQS
2003-05-01
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| Series: | Forum: Qualitative Social Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/726 |
| _version_ | 1818757770093002752 |
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| author | Günter Burkart |
| author_facet | Günter Burkart |
| author_sort | Günter Burkart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper deals with the question whether it is possible or not to analyze sociology as a social system with its own instruments, that is, the instruments of sociological analysis. In other words, the paper deals with the question whether a sociology of sociology is possible (and desirable). The first obstacle for a radically reflexive sociology is a certain taboo of thematizing that is central for modern science (De nobis ipsis silemus). The received idea is that scientific research should be objective, independent from social contexts of science. For this purpose some techniques of objectivation have been developed, that is, the construction of authorship in order to avoid the thematization of the social context of a sociological text. In addition, there is a discrepancy between official and social criteria of sociological success. This discrepancy should not be thematized either. Thus, a sociological analysis of sociology is not possible. But even without the silemus rule, sociological research on sociology might be impossible.
URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0302181 |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T06:16:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6f0c4fd35bd0455a9436a35b47ca98a8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-5627 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T06:16:13Z |
| publishDate | 2003-05-01 |
| publisher | FQS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forum: Qualitative Social Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-6f0c4fd35bd0455a9436a35b47ca98a82022-12-21T21:18:16ZdeuFQSForum: Qualitative Social Research1438-56272003-05-0142713On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of SociologyGünter Burkart0Universität LüneburgThe paper deals with the question whether it is possible or not to analyze sociology as a social system with its own instruments, that is, the instruments of sociological analysis. In other words, the paper deals with the question whether a sociology of sociology is possible (and desirable). The first obstacle for a radically reflexive sociology is a certain taboo of thematizing that is central for modern science (De nobis ipsis silemus). The received idea is that scientific research should be objective, independent from social contexts of science. For this purpose some techniques of objectivation have been developed, that is, the construction of authorship in order to avoid the thematization of the social context of a sociological text. In addition, there is a discrepancy between official and social criteria of sociological success. This discrepancy should not be thematized either. Thus, a sociological analysis of sociology is not possible. But even without the silemus rule, sociological research on sociology might be impossible. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0302181http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/726self referenceauthorshipsociology of sociologytaboo of thematizationsuccess in the social system of sociology |
| spellingShingle | Günter Burkart On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of Sociology Forum: Qualitative Social Research self reference authorship sociology of sociology taboo of thematization success in the social system of sociology |
| title | On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of Sociology |
| title_full | On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of Sociology |
| title_fullStr | On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of Sociology |
| title_full_unstemmed | On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of Sociology |
| title_short | On Taboos of Thematizing and the Impossibility of Doing a Sociology of Sociology |
| title_sort | on taboos of thematizing and the impossibility of doing a sociology of sociology |
| topic | self reference authorship sociology of sociology taboo of thematization success in the social system of sociology |
| url | http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/726 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gunterburkart ontaboosofthematizingandtheimpossibilityofdoingasociologyofsociology |