History in the making: Sociology and the transformation of Eastern and Cental Europe

This article provides an overview of the history of sociology in Eastern an d Central Europe from the post World War II period to the beginnings of per estroika and glasnost in 1989, Sociology ceased to exist as an autonomous d iscipline after 1948, having been displaced by the reigning ideology of Mar xism/Leninism, It only began the long an slow process of rebuilding with Kh rushchev's thaw in 1956. This redevelopment was uneven across the region an d was largely influenced by the strength of the national traditions that ha d been in place prior to the Communist take-over. Nonetheless, through a variety of strategies, including the sociologization of other disciplines. taking refuge in scientific and empirical methodolog ies, and avoidance of politically sensitive issues, sociology in Eastern an d Central Europe managed to maintain itself as a viable and vibrant discour se.