Sociology in Greece: Its History and Development

Description

This Palgrave Pivot provides a concise history of the development of sociology in Greece. It provides a compelling narrative of the discipline’s embryonic state, its promising beginnings that aligned with its contact with the then robust French and German accomplishments in sociology. It continues with sociology’s entanglement with modern Greece’s turbulent history during the Civil War and the junta years. It charts Greece's gradual recovery during the mid-1970s, which led to sociology’s institutionalization. Yet such institutional boom was not free of politicization processes, many of which proved residual and resilient, stemming from the dictatorship years, as well as from Greece’s dependency during its process of modernization. This book completes this historical account by reconsidering sociology’s gradual embrace of a multi-paradigmatic orientation, its opportunities in light of the burgeoning Greek EU membership and extroversion. It concludes with charting sociology’s position in the 21st century, facing challenges like the Great Recession and its impact in Greece as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Preface Chronology of Events in Modern Greek Political History About the Book Praise for Sociology in Greece Contents About the Author List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: An Incubation Era: 1900–1944 Sociology as Social Reform: Alexandros Papanastasiou and ‘the Sociologists’ The Sociological Society The Sociologists’ Theoretical Aspirations ‘Protosociologists’ Avrotelis Eleftheropoulos (1869–1963), Panagiotis Kanellopoulos (1902–1986) and Evangelos Lembesis (1904–1968) Avrotelis Eleftheropoulos: Extolling Individualism The Heidelberg Circle and Kanellopoulos’ Idea of Sociology Evangelos Lembesis: Sociologist of ‘Ressentiment’ References Chapter 2: From Academic Uncertainty to the Birth of Empirical Research: 1944–1974 From Social Welfare to Sociology: 1945–1962 The Emergence of Social Research and Greek Modernization The Athens Social Sciences Centre: 1959–1967 The National Centre of Social Research: 1968–1974 References Chapter 3: Institutionalization and Re-politicization Amid Modernization and Dependency: 1974–1990 The Debate on the Greek Social Formation After 1974: The Turn to Dependency and Underdevelopment International Capitalism as the Decisive Element in Underdevelopment: Vergopoulos and Poulantzas Vassilis Filias: Social Classes in Underdevelopment Constantinos Tsoukalas: Periphery and Underdevelopment—From Class Structure to Class Relations Nicos Mouzelis and the Capitalist Mode of Production as an Enclave Form Institutional Developments: 1974–1990 References Chapter 4: Boundary Challenges from Abroad and from Neighbouring Disciplines ‘Sociology in Greece’: Prolegomena on Re-classification Issues Cornelius Castoriadis: Sociological Contribution and Legacy in Greece The 1944 Writings The Imaginary Institution of Society (1975) Influence and Presence in Greece Nicos Poulantzas: Sociological Contribution and Legacy in Greece The ‘Miliband-Poulantzas’ Debate The 1966 ‘Class and the State’ Lectures/Seminars and the 1976–1977 Lectures at Panteion University The ‘Poulantzas-Castoriadis’ Polemic Sociological Theory Input from Neighbouring Disciplines and Scholars Panagiotis Kondylis Kondylis’ Sociologically Informed and Incomplete The Political and Man Kondylis’ Sociological Diagnostics The Kosmas Psychopedis Axiologika Interdisciplinary Group References Chapter 5: Greek Sociology’s Interdisciplinary and Multi-paradigmatic Shift: 1990–2000 Reconstructing Sociological Theory: Nicos Mouzelis Interdisciplinarity: Sociology’s Identity Already in Doubt? Sociology in Public and Virtual Spaces Sociology Journals and Research Centres Greek TV’s Mission Impossible: Disseminating Sociology to a Wider public Public (1) Multi-paradigmatic Post-Modernism: Veltsos’ Non-sociology Greek Sociology’s Steady Growth References Chapter 6: Sociology in Greece After 2000: The Discipline in Face of Crises The Crisis in Greece and the Crisis of Sociology? Greece’s Crises: In Search of the ‘Intermediate’ Way? Greek Sociology’s Struggle for a Public Audience The Journals Landscape The Translations Landscape Greek TV’s Mission Impossible: Disseminating Sociology to a Wider Public (2) Recent Developments and Mouzelis’ and Tsoukalas’ Latest Works Mouzelis’ Late Works Tsoukalas’ Recent Diagnostic Sociology The Sociology of Sociology in Greece: The Work of Lambiri-Dimaki Further International Reach The ‘Hellenic Sociological Society’ The Current Profile of Sociology Departments in Greece References Conclusion Index