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2017 ASEAN Symposium of Sociology: Sociology for Whom? Sociological Theory Building and Social Policy Making in Southeast Asia
2 March, 2017 @ 8:00 am - 3 March, 2017 @ 5:00 pm
Sociology as a modern discipline have developed only recently since the 19th century with thick European and North American societal, philosophical, and historical change. After the end of World War II, sociology came to Southeast Asia through, both local and foreign, scholars educated in the western hemisphere and through states’ endorsement for positivistic development studies. Such background calls for questions concerning the universalistic nature of sociology and its course within the indigenous categories.
There are two fundamental issues in Southeast Asian sociology: first, to construct local theories to advance sociology; and second, to provide local policies to improve society. The first issue is a challenge to local sociologists to increase their contribution to local theory building that can enrich a more general sociological theories as shown in King’s “underdevelopment of Southeast Asian Sociology” (Victor T King, 2008). On the second issue, the local sociologist are actually involved in social policy development and public advocacy or sociology for society (See Alfred McClung Lee, 1976; Michael Burawoy, 2004). However, their policy analyses and recommendations on corruption, poverty, and social exclusion are not well disseminated in sociological forum and journals.
These two issues are immanently relevant notably when the 2016 ISA Forum has inscribed “The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and Struggles for a Better World” as its heading. Global sociology could only reign from the rich contributions of various sociological studies around the globe, including Southeast Asian sociology-discourses, grounded theories or empirical researches. On the other hand, Southeast Asian sociologists seem to face a challenge as they are highly engaged in activism and academic practices but hardly making impact in theoretical discourse.
The symposium will invigorate such subjects through inquiries such as, but not limited to:
How Southeast Asian sociologist could play roles in Southeast Asian societies? (How Southeast Asian sociologists could contribute to sociological theory building?)
How to view or approach “Southeast Asian sociology”? How to set the influence of indigenous categories in sociological discourses?
How sociology and sociologists could influence and direct Social Policies in Southeast Asian societies?
How interconnection and collective work of sociologist could develop the discourse?
How can sociologist share and learn best practices in theory building and policy making in Southeast Asian Societies?
Source: http://sosiologi.fisip.ui.ac.id/symposium/
