This book is the first comprehensive account of the history and current state of South African sociology. Providing a holistic picture of the subject both as it is taught in universities and as a field of research, it reveals the trajectories of a discipline in a challenging socio-political context. With the support of historical and scientometric data, it demonstrates how the changing political situation, from colonialism to apartheid to democracy, has influenced the nature, direction and foci of sociological research in the country. The author shows how, during the apartheid era, sociology was professionally fragmented and divided along language and race lines. It, however, flourished with the advent of democracy in 1994 and has become a unique academic movement. This insightful work will appeal to students and scholars of the social sciences, and all those interested in the history and society of South Africa. This new edition is fully updated to include new data from the intervening 10 years, integrate current literature, incorporate additional figures and tables, and feature scientometric keyword analysis supported by visual diagrams.

Fills a significant lacuna in our understanding of education and research in South Africa Brings the impact of South Africa's political history to the fore Demonstrates how apartheid caused the division, fragmentation and disintegration of sociology

Autorentext

R. Sooryamoorthy is Professor of Sociology and Fellow of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and a Research Fellow at the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in STI Policy, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. South African Sociology: A Glance.- Chapter 2. In Colonial Times.- Chapter 3. Struggling Under Apartheid, 1948-1993.- Chapter 4. In Democratic South Africa, 1994-2025.- Chapter 5. Sociological Research: Contemporary Characteristics.- Chapter 6. Outlook and Prospects.