Brazilian sociologists protesting the end of teaching and research in sociology, as well as in the social sciences
Note from the
Brazilian Society of Sociology in Defence of Education and Research in Human Areas
see also
[Translation from the original in Portuguese - ’Nota da Sociedade Brasileira de Sociologia em Defesa do Ensino e Pesquisa Nas áreas de Humanas’, Brasília, 26 de abril de 2019] is made available
here for public information, hoping that social scientists in South Asia will express their solidarity with Brazilian sociologists protesting end of teaching and research in sociology, as well as in the social sciences and write letters of protest to the Government of Brazil
here for public information, hoping that social scientists in South Asia will express their solidarity with Brazilian sociologists protesting end of teaching and research in sociology, as well as in the social sciences and write letters of protest to the Government of Brazil
Statement from
Sociedade Brasileira de Sociologia / Brazilian Sociological Society
Brasília, April 26,
2019.
The Brazilian Society
of Sociology (SBS) publicly expresses its strong criticism of the statements
made by the President of the Republic regarding his intention to
"decentralize" university resources to human areas - specifically
philosophy and sociology - in order to "focus" on areas such as
veterinary medicine, engineering and medicine. Certainly, the areas
of veterinary, engineering, medicine - and others such as biology, chemistry,
etc. - are fundamental for the social and economic development of the country. However, it is
necessary to point out that the humanities, among which the mentioned
disciplines philosophy and sociology, have a long trajectory in the history of
knowledge elaborated in several universities in Brazil and in the world and are
equally important for the construction of a modern country, developed and more
supportive.
Sociology is a
scientific discipline as much as physics, medicine, chemistry, biology, etc.
The knowledge it draws is based on empirical facts confronted with theories and
concepts, but also on conceptual reflections and analyses of social reality
carried out through the use of analytical categories that are proper to it. The
results obtained through sociological research are the result of the use of
rigorous methods for obtaining data, considering and analyzing multiple sources
of information and also sophisticated techniques in the treatment of
quantitative and qualitative data obtained in various ways. In this sense, the
Brazilian Society of Sociology cannot accept the unreasonable charge that
sociology, both national and international, produces ideologies or the like.
Sociology is a science, and like all others, it is separated from notions of
common sense.
Sociology, moreover,
is an academic discipline present in virtually every country that has
universities. In all the contexts in which it is present, it has provided
relevant contributions in analyzing issues of public interest such as violence,
inequalities, social, urban and rural life, etc. Their results contribute, in
no small measure, to the formulation and implementation of public policies to
address the many issues facing our societies. Sociology, as one of
the most respected contemporary sociologists Anthony Giddens has argued, has,
after all, become a fundamental actor in modern societies, since the knowledge
produced by it enables citizens to understand the world around us and the
broader contexts in which we live.
It will never be too
much trouble to warn that countries with more robust university systems than
Brazil have vigorous departments of human sciences and sociology, such as
Harvard, Columbia and Yale in the USA, the London School of Economics in
England and France, Ecole des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, as well as
sociology departments at the German universities of Bielefeld, Hamburg, Berlin
or Frankfurt, or in emerging countries such as China and its Chinese Academy of
Social Sciences. Instead of suffering senseless accusations and threats of
budget cuts, these institutions and their departments of sociology enjoy social
and intellectual respect for their local communities and, at the same time, the
protection and academic encouragement of their respective governments.
Finally, it is
important to point out that numerous international calls for the execution of
large technological projects (in areas as diverse as the environment, health in
general and public health, engineering) have required the presence of
sociologists or sociologists in the teams of researchers, since more and more
discussions in international political arenas take into account the possible
ramifications and consequences of the results of these projects on the living
conditions of broad population segments.
To decree and / or
stimulate the end of teaching and research in sociology, as well as in the
social sciences and humanities, is to stimulate and promote the international
isolation of the country in front of the most advanced in all fields of science
in the world. The Brazilian Society
of Sociology urges the national and international university communities to
join in the defence of the departments of sociology - and philosophy - in
Brazil, as well as the other areas of the human field.
SBS also calls on
Brazilian society to defend freedom of thought and research, preservation of
academic dialogue between the various areas of knowledge, namely, the
intellectual exchange between the natural sciences, the technological areas and
the human build together scientifically and socially relevant knowledge for a
modern and supportive society as we hope
