Public Sociology

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Public sociology is the sociological science communication that is actively and specifically aimed at stakeholders beyond the internal sociological specialist public. So it describes the management of public communication in sociology .

As in other sciences , in sociology, for a long time, primarily internal science communication was viewed as professional and legitimate, so that targeted external sociology communication was associated with an increased reputational risk . But the broad public communication of sociological knowledge is also increasingly important for sociology, if it does not want to remain unheard or be misinterpreted in the growing competition between social opinion-forming processes. For this reason, sociological professional associations and sociologists are increasingly beginning to point out the necessity of such external scientific communication for sociology and to legitimize and demand this since 1988 with the English term Public Sociology and since 2005 with the German term Public Sociology .

Even the terms public sociology or public sociology make it clear that sociology is about addressing new publics or the public and thus about public relations or public relations work for sociology, its institutions and representatives.

Origin and concept development

The professionalization and institutionalization of sociology made the internal sociological discourses ever more extensive and significant. Since the middle of the 20th century, sociologists began to critically reflect on the danger of self-referentiality and the communicative closure of sociology to the public as a stakeholder group or the processes of public opinion formation and knowledge generation:

  • In 1956, Norbert Elias pointed out the problems of “involvement and detachment” - not only for sociology , but for all “human sciences”. In 1970 he criticized the "ideal of a high level of professionalism ", through which an absolute autonomy of the respective special subject with technical terms, theories and methods is to be achieved and thus becomes inaccessible to non-specialists: "The fortress is completed, the drawbridges are being raised". He warned that the difficult scientific balance between involvement and distancing by abstraction of the research object and distancing from the research object can only be managed inadequately. As long as sociology does not achieve a “higher degree of self-distancing, a self-out-of-center ” and communication, a sociologist is also a “homo sociologicus”, i.e. H. a form of homo clausus who, as a “thinking self, finds himself confronted with the whole world inside his head”. Elias himself therefore tried to minimize abstract concepts, formulations, theories and methods ( process-sociological approach ) in his work .
  • In 1988, Herbert J. Gans, President of the American Sociological Association, explicitly referred to the targeted addressing of the public as a stakeholder group in sociology as Public Sociology .
  • In 2004, Michael Burawoy, as President of the American Sociological Association, reiterated the need for public sociology .
  • In 2005, the debate was taken up in Germany with a publication of 11 theses by Burawoy, reflected on by Ulrich Beck and Heinz Bude , and the term translated as "Public Sociology":
    • Ulrich Beck: “Sociology, theoretically highly reflective and method-conscious, is losing - across the board from the diversity of its methodological and theoretical positions - its public voice, threatens to become public-blind, public-dust; even more so, their professional pride (to reverse Habermas' formula) is based on their “communicative incompetence” for public and practical issues and questions. This is supplemented and reinforced by a public that has become sociologically blind and deaf. "
    • Heinz Bude takes up Burawoy's two main arguments to justify a “search for a public sociology”: “The sociological addressing more and more bypassed the processes of social self-understanding, (...) has (...) at least in the USA and in those under hegemony American sociology, western sociologies, are withdrawn into their professional housing. A sociology of subtle differences cannot do anything against a politics of public convictions. ”In addition, in the normal career path of a sociologist, the“ original attitude of moral indignation and social commitment ”would grow cold. According to Bude, the aim of public sociology is to make sociology a "science of reflection on social self-organization that is valued by the general public and can be heard in public", because sociological analyzes offer society "opportunities for advancement and forms of self-education".

Requirements of communicative professionalization

It is characteristic of “communication” or “PR laymen” that they do not differentiate between the systems of everyday journalism such as public relations, propaganda , advertising or journalism , but unconsciously adopt the fuzzy and negative image of public relations that predominates in journalism.

In order to professionalise science communication, sociological institutions and representatives face the classic task of establishing and professionalising public relations work for their specialist area. This is not easy to cope with due to the initial conditions:

Legitimization of communicative professionalization

Especially for sociology as a science that observes and describes society and its change, the targeted influence on social opinion-forming processes and thus social change is highly ambivalent. Because with this she leaves - deliberately and clearly visible - an observer position and becomes an actor: This affects her credibility in unmasking social constructions , because she becomes - no longer just concealed, but obviously - herself a constructor. Wherever it successfully reveals social functional principles, these can not only be used positively but also abused. Renowned sociologists such as Pierre Bourdieu therefore specifically use a “complex spelling” that is difficult to understand in order to prevent misuse and misunderstandings. Ulrich Beck criticizes the cultivation of such a communicative closure of sociology to the public.

Provision of resources

The professionalization of external science communication requires resources that are hardly systematically available in science in general - and also in sociology:

  • Acquisition of communicative management skills in training,
  • ongoing development of strategic and operational communicative management skills in the job (further education),
  • Budgets for professional communication,
  • Time capacity for professional communication.

For the science communication of sociology it can be said today that "the communication of science and its results must be supplemented with information about the actual process of science and research."

Beginnings of communicative professionalization

  1. “The scientific subjects of sociology are mostly matters of public interest.
  2. As a theory-based empirical science, sociology has impressive expertise in the analysis and criticism of social phenomena and problems.
  3. Sociology should not wait for its expertise to be queried and requested by the media or political institutions.
  4. Public sociology is not limited to posting press releases or adding feature sections, but to entering into direct, local dialogue with an interested audience. "
  • In 2016, Michael Reif reflected on the sociological-historical foundations of the communicative closure of the subject in Germany in the DGS-Zeitschrift Soziologie: “Intellectual milestones” and “parts of the cognitive identity” of German sociology became in the first third of the 20th century through the course of its professionalization and institutionalization embossed. This includes the defense of various dangers: academic discrediting as a “socialist science”, the intended use of sociology beyond the university as a 'means of education', the political appropriation of sociology as well as the non-recognition of its status as an individual science, for example alongside economics. So it followed: “Sociology should not be a public or even application-oriented, but a professional science. In this respect, she looked for her target group in the scientific field (...). The sociology elite (...) wanted their place under the academic sun, that is, recognition as a discipline. "
  • In 2018, the DialogForum "Unconditional basic income. Good life for life !?" an innovative event format for public sociology developed and implemented. On November 17th, over 100 citizens , including numerous sociologists and representatives of political organizations, gathered in the Theaterhaus Jena to enter into a dialogue on equal terms about the unconditional basic income . The organizer was, in cooperation with the Theaterhaus Jena, the DFG research group "Post-growth societies". Hartmut Rosa was the supporter and speaker of the event .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Norbert Elias: Problems of Involvement and Detachment , in: British Journal of sociology, 7th vol. (1956), pp. 226-252.
  2. ↑ Norbert Elias: What is sociology? Ges. Schriften Vol. 5. Frankfurt 1970/2006, p. 62.
  3. ^ Norbert Elias: Commitment and distancing . Ges. Schriften Vol. 8. Frankfurt 1956/2006, p. 62.
  4. ↑ Norbert Elias: About the process of civilization. Sociogenetic and psychogenetic studies. Volume 1: Changes in behavior in the secular upper classes of the West . Frankfurt 1939/1969, pp. 53-55.
  5. ^ Herbert Gans: Sociology in America: The Discipline and the Public . Presidential Address 1988, American Sociological Association, in: American Sociological Review, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Feb. 1989), pp. 1-16.
  6. ^ Michael Burawoy: For public sociology . Presidential address 2004, American Sociological Association Presidential address, in: American Sociological Review, Vol. 70, No. 1/2005, pp. 4-28.
  7. ↑ Michael Burawoys: For Public Sociology, in: Soziale Welt, 56th vol. 4/2005, pp. 347–374.
  8. ↑ Ulrich Beck: Editoral , in: Soziale Welt, 56th vol. 4/2005, p. 345.
  9. ↑ Heinz Bude: Commentary on Michael Burawoy: In search of a public sociology , in: Soziale Welt, 56th vol. 4/2005, p. 377f.
  10. ↑ Manfred Rühl : For Public Relations? A bouquet of theories from the field of communication studies! In: Ulrike Röttger (Ed.): Theory of Public Relations. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 72f.
  11. ↑ Katharina Kerl: The image of public relations in the reporting of selected German print media. A quantitative content analysis . Munich 2007, p. 137ff.
  12. ↑ Rehbein, Bokie: The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu . Konstanz 2006, p. 55.
  13. ↑ Ulrich Beck: Editoral , in: Soziale Welt, 56th vol. 4/2005, p. 345.
  14. ↑ Christian Mrotzek, Franz Ossing, Jan-Martin Wiarda, Thomas Windmann, Doris Wolst, Josef Zens: Redefinition of the interface between science, science PR and the media ( Memento of the original from November 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.volkswagenstiftung.de
  15. ↑ DFG press release of April 2, 2009: Communicator Prize 2009 to Jutta Allmendinger
  16. ↑ DGS SozBlog
  17. ^ Annette Treibel: Sociology for the public - an encouragement in the face of emotional, political and structural barriers , in: Sociology. Forum of the German Society for Sociology, vol. 41, no. 4/2012, pp. 411–421; "Blog posts at the German Society for Sociology"
  18. ^ Stefan Selke: Sociology for the public. Resonance spaces of fragmented audiences , in: Sociology. Forum of the German Society for Sociology, vol. 41, no. 4/2012, pp. 398–410.
  19. ↑ "DGS goes public" ( Memento of the original from December 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.soziologie.de
  20. ↑ Michael Reif: Professional and Public Sociology. A sociological-historical contribution to the professionalization of the discipline in Germany, in: Sociology. Forum of the German Society for Sociology, vol. 45, H. 1/2016, pp. 7–23
  21. ↑ Michael Reif: Professional and Public Sociology. A sociological-historical contribution to the professionalization of the discipline in Germany, in: Sociology. Forum of the German Society for Sociology, vol. 45, H. 1/2016, p. 17/20
  22. ↑ DialogForum Basic Income. Retrieved July 21, 2019 .