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ESA Social Theory Research Network
Social theory aims at developing theoretical concepts and ontologies that provide social research with conceptual and methodological tools. As such, social theory is a distinct field in itself, whilst forming a dialogue with the empirical research of modern societies.
The 'classics' of sociology (the likes of Durkheim, Simmel, Weber and Marx) were amongst the first to carry out this theoretically informed empirical research. Their work provides fruitful insights even today, and that's partly why they are still considered classics. From the early 20th Century onwards, their work was read and re-interpreted by North-American scholars who in turn provided Europeans with a new framework (to study society and to read the classics). Their work was innovative and significant though it also removed the European traditions from their original interests and context. In the last couple of decades, things have changed a lot. With the work of Bauman, Beck, Bourdieu, Foucault, Giddens, Latour, Luhmann and Habermas (to name only a few), it's possible to talk about a new era of European social theory. It therefore makes sense to create a Social Theory Research Network - a venue that allows for the confrontation of the multitude of European theoretical traditions. Furthermore, the recent changes to Europe also necessitate this network. Europe is going through huge transformations - some of those changes also apply to other parts of the world, others are specific to Europe - and social theorists need to reflect on them.
At the ESA conference in Amsterdam (1999) a preliminary business meeting was held. Participants expressed the need for a Social Theory Research Network and outlined future plans, one of which was the organisation of a conference 'European Social Theory at the turn of the Millennium' in December 2000 in Copenhagen. This conference was organised by Margareta Bertillson and Risto Heiskala. It was a great success, and it was also a platform for organising the various theory sessions at the conference of the European Sociological Association in Helsinki (2001). Since Helsinki-2001, we organised various sessions at the conference of the European Sociological Association in Murcia (2003), as well as in Torun (2005) and Glasgow (2007). We also organised highly successful intermediate conferences in Moscow in 2002 (thanks to local organiser Valdimir Kultygin), in Paris in 2004 (thanks to local organiser Gilles Verpraet), and in Madrid in 2006 (thanks to local organiser Fernando Dominguez-Rubio) and we are currently planning an intermediate conference in Innsbruck (local organiser: Frank Welz) in September 2008.
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