Nothing Like Sociology -- But Which?

The Soviet Union & France on the one hand & the US & Great Britain on the other drove the energies that fueled the post-war period. Rainer Mackensen returned to Go$UMttingen in 1946, with no better plan than to follow in his father's footsteps & gain a teaching position in Philology. Even in his early studies, Mackensen had a need for scientific reliability & verifiability that would remain with him throughout his career in sociology. The desire for practically oriented & interdisciplinary research led to a certain independence from the established sociological discipline, though unfortunately, his time in Berlin coincided with the era of student unrest. Mackensen has witnessed the positivism arguments for sociology, the empirical insights & rise in qualitative statements, the advancement of technical analysis instruments, the shift in great paradigms, & the dominance of small elite groups. Sociology is not its own science, but is more a conglomerate of multiple sources, impulses, & positions. Development is endangered by the focus on prestige, & it is hoped that Sociology will recognize & value their research results as the actual benefit of the discipline. References. L. Reed