Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology of Revolution, Imam Khomeini and Islamic Revolution Research Institute
Abstract
As explained by Michael Burawoy, policymaking sociology intervenes in social policymaking of societies in various forms and is in the service of the employer to find solutions to the ordered problems or scientifically legitimize the existing solutions. A review of the history of sociology in advanced countries indicates that policymaking sociology has experienced a declining trend since 1980s. In fact, the experience of sociology in the United States (which has an advanced sociology and from cultural point of view is the cradle of pragmatism and practical utility of knowledge and where usually unbiased pursuit of knowledge is not considered necessary for the existence of one science) indicates that policymaking sociology not only has not grown since late 1980s but also has experienced a declining trend. The argument of this paper in explanation of the said historical fact is that creation of knowledge by sociologists and shaping of social policy by politicians, managers and bureaucrats are different and relatively incompatible human activities and due to this very reason and other reasons the decline of policymaking sociology in the countries that produce knowledge is quite natural and this trend will most probably continue in the future.
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