Publish at May 26 2021 Updated March 27 2024
Which faculty is the most difficult to teach in? The question can lead to many debates. Everyone can come up with a more or less lengthy list of the obstacles that need to be overcome in order to pass on knowledge. Nevertheless, these days, you only have to open a news website to notice that one subject comes up more often than any other: the social sciences, and particularly sociology.
This art of dissecting society and understanding it is in itself delicate, and many have difficulty seeing it as a real science. Yet sociologists also follow a scientific approach, complicated by the fact that their basic subject is the human being, a species rife with feelings, contradictions and dissonance. It's a science that's already complex, and one that's also fraught with criticism from students as well as from the political and social spheres.
A word has come to confuse matters: intersectionality. The concept, which originated in American academic and activist circles, is now of growing interest to students around the world. It was originally coined to refer to gendered racism. In fact, black American women experience two types of inequality at the same time: one linked to the color of their skin and another to their gender. Since then, the notion has been enhanced to deal with attempts to converge feminist, anti-racist and LGBTQ+ struggles. In short, the question of how to represent minority groups in sociological studies is the subject of much debate.
Intersectionality is already being questioned from within. From what angle should it be approached? Is it too militant a notion for universities? How should sociology approach it? Should it change the way social sciences are taught?
This last question is fundamental and is gradually tormenting sociology teachers. While young adults have integrated these more progressive ideas into their worldviews, this is not the case for the professoriate. For many, the current situation forces them to walk on eggshells. Some say that the feeling of political correctness makes the task very difficult. The over-sensitivity of students, for example, leaves no margin for error in what they are taught. Rather than leading to constructive discussions between teachers and learners, the climate leads to denunciation and virulent criticism. A difficult situation that becomes even more complicated when the media and politics get involved.
Indeed, this delicate environment has come to the fore in the media. Instead of relaying a public discourse that would ease tensions by calling for dialogue and openness on everyone's part, more oil is being poured on the fire. The comments made by Frédérique Vidal, the French Minister of Higher Education and Research, have provoked a huge amount of discontent. Among other things, she blamed sociological research for the "Islamo-leftism" that she sees as a threat to the Republic. This was indeed a full-scale attack on researchers who are indeed interested in decolonial, racial or intersectional issues.
Consequently, several professors denounced what was happening both politically and in the media on the issue of social sciences. While they admit to heightened sensitivities among students, they are far more concerned about the widespread desire to disparage sociology indiscriminately. It has to be said that sociologists are society's gadflies. They dismantle the "images" fashioned to show our true reflection. For example, Emmanuel Todd was harshly criticized for his essay "Qui est Charlie?", looking back at the months after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in January 2015. He had noted that a large proportion of those shouting "Je suis Charlie" in the processions were middle-class people whose Republic was once again becoming sacred, and whose feelings of Islamophobia were on the rise.
Because behind the question of research funding lies this simple question: "Why fund militants?" To an outsider, this may seem justified. But to those inside the social sciences, it's nonsense. Sociological research has never been neutral. It cannot, by the very nature of what it studies: humans and societies are not impartial. They are riddled with movements and conscious and unconscious thoughts that influence their actions. Thus, neutrality is not the cornerstone of sociological research.
On the other hand, objectivity must be, i.e., the researcher must respect the scientific approach and not simply take the data that goes with his or her starting postulate. This is generally what they do, pointing to social inequalities in economic matters, police and state attitudes towards minorities, etc.
Is it any wonder that political forces want less money for these troublemakers? Whether in Canada or France, sociology is going through an unprecedented rebellion, and social science faculties are seeing their financial resources dwindle little by little. After all, according to some commentators, they're not real scientists, so why should they have funding on a par with the natural sciences? This hatred is so strong that some French students are thinking of pursuing their studies elsewhere.
As a result, the sociology community finds itself fighting on two fronts. On the one hand, it has to appease students who are not prepared to hear things that may offend them. Learners need to accept this reality, while at the same time being offered environments in which they can discuss it calmly. On the other front, there is media and political pressure to practically ban relevant subjects of study such as feminism, anti-racism, social inequalities and so on. Here, it will be necessary to promote the role of sociologists and their scientific approaches, which are there to debunk the "sacred" aspects of civilizations.
Illustration : Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
References
Ali-Khodja, Mourad. "Remarques Sur L'état Actuel De La Sociologie Et Des Sciences Humaines Et Sociales à L'Université De Moncton." Astheure. Last updated March 26, 2021. https://astheure.com/2021/03/26/remarques-sur-letat-actuel-de-la-sociologie-et-des-sciences-humaines-et-sociales-a-luniversite-de-moncton-mourad-ali-khodja/.
Charaudeau, Patrick. "Polémique Sur L'" islamo-gauchisme " : Revenir à l'esprit De la recherche." The Conversation. Last updated February 24, 2021. https://theconversation.com/polemique-sur-l-islamo-gauchisme-revenir-a-lesprit-de-la-recherche-155889?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1614243451.
Couture, Lysanne. "La Crise Existentielle D'une Professeure De Sociologie." Le Devoir. Last updated: January 19, 2021. https://www.ledevoir.com/opinion/libre-opinion/593525/la-crise-existentielle-d-une-proffesseure-de-sociologie.
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Gordien, Ary. "Podcast " Les mots De la science " : I comme Intersectionnalité." The Conversation. Last updated September 23, 2020. https://theconversation.com/podcast-les-mots-de-la-science-i-comme-intersectionnalite-146721?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1600926309.
Le Nevé, Soazig. "Débat Sur La Recherche: Les étudiants En Sciences Humaines Et Sociales, Entre Colère Et Désarroi." Le Monde.fr. Last updated: March 15, 2021. https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2021/03/15/debat-sur-la-recherche-les-etudiants-en-sciences-humaines-et-sociales-entre-colere-et-desarroi_6073167_3224.html.
Pereira, Irène. ""Maximizing Objectivity And Minimizing Neutrality": From Activism In The Social Sciences." The Conversation. Last updated March 2, 2021. https://theconversation.com/maximiser-lobjectivite-et-minimiser-la-neutralite-du-militantisme-en-sciences-sociales-156159.
"What Really Threatens Intellectual Debate at The University? Tribune Du 17 Mars 2021." AFS. Last updated: March 17, 2021. https://afs-socio.fr/menace-debat-luniversite-tribune-17-mars-2021/.
Rojas, Fabio. "Intersectionality: Friend or Foe of Classical Liberalism?" Cato Unbound. Last updated: May 28, 2020. https://www.cato-unbound.org/2020/05/28/fabio-rojas/intersectionality-friend-or-foe-classical-liberalism.
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