Sociology Associations in Turkey: A Continuity
The first acquaintance of Turks with sociology took place in the 19th century. Auguste Comte paid considerable attention to Turks, seeing them as the bridge between Asia and Europe. Since then sociology has been present sometimes as an idea-oriented and sometimes as a data-oriented or policy-oriented discipline. Le Play and Durkheim have also been influential, while in the 1930s German refugees became prominent; since the 1950s there have been more contacts with US sociology. The journey of sociology in Turkey has been an interrupted one, with six consecutive associations, not all exclusively for sociologists, and its progress has often been involved with political developments in the wider society. The current association, founded in 1990, is described in this article.
NİLGÜN ÇELEBİ
