Sociology In Society – Relations to Political and Societal Institutions and Ideas

Social science and sociology have always been closely related to and entangled with a wide range of political institutions and interests. Historically, sociology had close relations to reform-oriented institutions and interests, but also the problems, ideas and discussion in society have shaped social science knowledge production. These relations were often formed within national settings, but historical ties across national boundaries have also shaped the production of social science knowledge. In this session, we invite contributions that seek to analyze and discuss the historical and current nature of the relations between social science – especially sociology – and political institutions and interests. In the session, we are not only focusing on the very direct interaction between social science and politics. The session also invites papers that broadly seek to analyze how social science knowledge is shaped by the societal currents, problems, and institutions of their time and place. The contributions can range from case studies to more theoretical contributions. We especially invite contributions that seek to broaden our understanding of how these relations have shaped and continue to shape the knowledge produced in the social sciences, and to challenge that understanding.