Original scientific paper

The Plight of Sociology at the University

Dragoljub B. Đorđević ; Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Niš
Milan T. Antić ; Faculty of Medicine, Niš

Abstract

The article reports on the results of a socio-empirical research project concerning so-called Marxist education at the University of Niš. From an abundance of data, those referring to sociology are interpreted in this article, and those referring to Marxist philosophy, political economy and the political system of the SFR Yugoslavia are put aside.
The sociological community has institutions for educating its members, but as any other community, it does not allow to big a professional disorder within its sector. The right to be christened a sociologist is equally given to both those whose education took place on »parent« faculties, and those who found themselves »in« sociology by chance. This research project confirms that precisely such a process in under way at the University of Niš. If asking ourselves how mature a science Yugoslav sociology is, the results of our research point out that it embodies too many generalities, a sterile reference to authority, theoretical pose, compilation, but very little material concerning fundamental issues sociologists are confronted with daily.
At the University of Niš, sociology is also lectured as part of the following composite subjects titled: »Marxism and Sociology«, »Marxist Philosophy and Sociology«, »Sociology and the Theory and Practice of Self-Management«, »Sociology and the Philosophy of Natural Sciences«. The question is: who should and can any one successfully lecture on composite subjects? Can such lecturing be based on research? Haven't sociologists, in fact, as lecturers of these composite subjects, having been compelled, as »universal ignoramuses«, to teach what they have no qualification for, sufficiently contributed to the plight of sociology at the University of Niš?
Ideologically, the external reason for such an unpropitious position of sociology can be found in the thesis of the unsuitability of sociological disciplines when the concept of the so-called integral Marxist education is concerned. Thus, at the University of Niš, sociology has also yielded to the »general-education« subject represented at all the faculties, and treated as mathematics at the faculties of technical sciences, and has reached a stage in which it is fighting for dignity surrounded by a nondescript Marxist education and all sorts of artificial combinations.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

155510

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/155510

Publication date:

30.6.1989.

Article data in other languages: croatian serbian

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