The Role of Slovenian Sociologists in Shaping National Imaginary through Discursive Practices

This study investigates the impact of Slovenian sociology on the national imaginary, focussing on its role in specific cultural, political, and economic situations, and employs cultural political economy as a conceptual framework. It focuses on the late 1980s and early 1990s transition era, emphasising the evolutionary processes of discourse variety, selection, and retention during post-socialist transformation. While new discourses arose, existing semiotic orders remained, demonstrating route dependency. Slovenian sociology's progress from the communist period to its engagement with current concerns, such as technological expansion and globalisation, is examined.

The work utilises Borut Rončević's categorisation of sociologists' responsibilities, from marginalised professionals to active actors in society development. It further examines Slovenian sociology, including works by Adam and Makarovič, Jogan, Vičič, and Kerševan, with a focus on Zdravko Mlinar's thorough monographs.

This empirical analysis compares the content of two sociological publications, Teorija in praksa and Družboslovne razprave, from 1987 to 2017. The authors examined 445 journal entries from designated years to identify prominent sociological topics and their relationships over time. This analysis compares the structural settings and dominating discourses of the communist, post-communist, and contemporary eras, demonstrating how Slovenian sociology has helped to shape new semiotic orders in the context of democratisation and globalisation.