THE CLACH OF SCIENCE CULTURES: "ACADEMIC” AND "STATE” RESEARCH PROGRAMS OF RUSSIAN SOCIOLOGY IN 1990-2000

Abstract

In the article the author considers the collision of two programs for the development of sociology, "academic" program, which provides for an autonomous position of the sociological community predominantly based in higher education institutions, as well as for a poliparadigmatical content of sociology; and "practical" program, aimed at the integration of sociology into state policy apparatus, reliance on state institutions and development of a unitary sociological theory. An attempt is made to examine the development of Russian sociology from late 1980s till 2000s as a development of a science culture. The main subject of analysis is the theoretical discourse of sociology, which is considered as a complex of verbal practices aimed at building a self-presentation of the discipline. The history of sociology in Russia shows that its typical trait was a constant difficulty in attaining autonomous position. In the 1990s Russian sociology recovered from ideological restrictions. However, the model of the American academic sociology comes in dissonance with the institutional structure of science inherited from the Soviet period as well as with the structure of Russian economy Countering this approach, an influential group of sociologists advocates ideas of implementing sociology in government policies and its participation in forming of a new state ideology. An intense discussion between adherents of these two models is one of the key processes in Russian sociology of 1990-2000s.

Keywords

• scientific community
• sociology of science
• history of russian sociology
• science autonomy