The problems there (in the former Yu) and all around the world indicate
today that social science and social scientists mostly don't have real
political power to change clearly destructive circumstances, not even when
they are still manageable and controlable. Why would anyone, on the basis of
what is known in social science, today, vote for cuts for education and
social programs and more money for police and jails, is beyond me - yet it
is happening today in the USA. I see scary parallels between the present
social situation in the USA and the situation in Yugoslavia several (maybe 8
- 10) years before it was consumed by the war.
The question which I have is: is there any connection between the political
position of social sciences, i.e. their ability to make a difference
(hopefully for the better) in the real world, and the state of the art of
the theory, methodology, practice, and in general the body of knowledge
about society and individuals we assume we have?
Ana
_______________________________________
Dr. Ana Marjanovic-Shane
(215) 843-2909 [voice] (215) 843-2288 [fax] (h)
(215) 685-4767 [voice] (215) 685-5581 [fax] (w)
pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu
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