Europe's many faces of sociology
Sociology, the fascinating study of society, is quite fragmented in Europe as it is influenced by cultural differences and linguistic barriers, among other factors. The EU-funded project 'Analysing and overcoming the sociological fragmentation in Europe' (Anavasofie) looked at ways to overcome this fragmentation and optimise how sociology is being taught. The project looked at how sociology is fractured into different subfields in various countries. It brought together sociologists from Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the UK to help enlighten its quest. Anavasofie also sought to create a virtual library of knowledge on the subject, understand how sociologists operate, and outline the inherent differences in European sociology. Project meetings and conferences in several of the countries involved helped articulate more precisely the barriers that undermine a common point of view in European sociology. These included mainly language barriers and isolation of language communities due to different cultures, as well as differences in perceptions of social issues and the presence of coexisting sociology paradigms. Anovasofie analysed three interesting and very different case studies of national sociology in Austria, Ireland and Turkey. It gathered data through online discussion forums and by researching the institutional history in these countries, drawing valuable comparative conclusions. Of particular interest were the examples of sociology related to nation building in Ireland and state ideology in Austria, which underline the link between nation states and sociology. While the project team noted the narrowness of early forms of sociology in these countries, it also cautioned against internationalisation of sociology which could lead to a system of domination. Shedding light on differences, styles and types of sociology will help Europeans understand themselves better and further the discipline on academic and social levels.
