Sociology in Macedonian Society in Transition

It is very challenging for a sociologist to discuss the sociologies in dialogue amidst the turmoil and dynamic changes going on in the contemporary world, especially from the standpoint of a sociologist who comes from a country which has faced tremendous social, economic, cultural, and political changes in a relatively short period of independence, as well as considering all these in the Balkans’ historical, social, and political context. In this paper, we elaborate on our standpoint on the state of affairs in Macedonian sociology in the period of transition. We are beginning with a brief introduction to the historical and social context of the establishment and development of Macedonian sociology. Furthermore, we refer to the problems that Macedonian sociology is facing with the rebuilding and further development of the Macedonian sociological scientific community. The focus is on the role of the institutions responsible for sociological education and research in the country, as well as their cooperation and communication with other sociological institutions in the region and beyond. The scientific community, particularly in the field of social sciences, is faced with a lack of financial support for research. Financial funding for sociological research projects from the government and also from ‘international community’ representatives located in Macedonian society is rapidly decreasing in the country. The last problem we refer to is the role and status of sociologists in Macedonian society. Despite the existence of sociology in Macedonian society for over 50 years, sociologists are barely recognisable in the labour market in the Macedonian economy. In this context, we are briefly touching upon the role of the Association of the Sociologists of the Republic of Macedonia in promoting sociology in Macedonian society and connecting Macedonian sociologists with the international sociological community.