Institutionalization and professionalization of sociology in the Basque Country: an unfinished process

Abstract

Since sociology studies begin in 1963 at the Institute of Economic and Social Studies -later Institute of Social Studies- of the University of Deusto, have passed more than 50 years, 50 years of history of sociology in the Basque Country. It is necessary, therefore, to know the past of the Basque sociology, so, perhaps, be able to understand the present. This article has a double objective. First of all, identify the facts and representative persons who have defined and starred, respectively, the process of institutionalization and professionalization of sociology in the Basque Country. Secondly, and no less important to us, verify the hypothesis which consists, in the case of the Basque sociology, check the existence of tensions between different conceptions of sociology that have gone through the entire route of the Basque sociology. We refer here to the tensions or oppositions between sociology as a scientific discipline and sociology as applied discipline, between theoretical sociology and empirical sociology, academic sociology and professional sociology, among others. And we think that may have led to the professionalization of sociology in the Basque Country resulting unfinished.