(Post-)Colonialism, Authoritarianism, and Authenticity: Sociology in Arab Countries

The chapter provides an overview of the institutional and theoretical development of sociology in Arab countries since the beginning of the twentieth century. Central aspects are the relationship to the state, to the colonial heritage, and to European sociology. Attempts to establish an “Arab” or “Islamic sociology” are discussed separately. Against particularist and universalist claims alike, it becomes clear that a common sociology can be legitimized and shaped differently in the global present. As part of global theories, sociology in Arab countries nevertheless exhibits its own structural characteristics and thematic emphases.