War and the Sociological Canon. Dynamics of Exclusion and Possible Pathways of Reinclusion

Antonelli, Francesco

Discussing the reasons of the marginalisation of sociological analysis on war and peace processes is the main purpose of the paper: such a situation weakens the capacity to understand sociologically macro-social changes. After having analysed in which way war conflicts have been studied during the foundation of sociology in Europe and USA, in the critical discussion it will be hypothesized that such a situation is due to the canonisation of sociology - particularly with the push of functionalism - and the rise of its professional identity, between the 30s and the 60s of the XX century. Eventually, in the final part three proposals will be discussed in order to go beyond this situation: 1. put the "principle of symmetry" at the center in the analysis of war as a social phenomenon. 2. Fully develop all the potential of a cosmopolitan sociology. 3. Dealing with the transformations of the public sphere and institutions in the global world and their connections with different phenomenal levels.