autonomy of sociology

the viewpoint, as expressed by DURKHEIM in particular, that sociology must be formulated as a distinctive science, dealing with a level of reality that cannot be explained by reduction to other disciplines such as psychology or biology. Durkheim's view was that 'S ociety’ has a reality ‘sui generis’ – i.e. of its own kind. See also SOCIAL FACTS AS THINGS, SUICIDE.

Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000

Mentioned in

emergent properties

References in periodicals archive

We offer a discussion of how these practices may be eroding the relative autonomy of sociology departments, and what this may mean for the discipline and those who practice it.

The promise of a sociology degree in Canadian higher education

The autonomy of sociology in Canada is already compromised by the extent to which grants controlled by the central authority of our national government help determine hiring, the status hierarchies and power of scholars in the discipline.

Canada's impossible science: historical and institutional origins of the coming crisis in Anglo-Canadian sociology (1)

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.