ABSTRACT
Once in a while authors refer to a species they call “European” and most of the time they add a noun, as identity, journal, model, tradition, theory, or now and then even sociology. Characteristics of European sociology are discussed in this chapter. We will argue using empirical data instead of continuing a flimsy debate of the kernel of the European in the sociological tradition. We start with some considerations about the boundaries of Europe and then give some figures about the number of sociologists in Europe. Our data will indicate that the size of sociology in Europe is larger than the one of its major competitor, sociology in the United States. As a matter of fact, sociology in Europe is much more diverse and fragmented and therefore lacks unity and identity. A portrait of sociological journals in Europe emphasizes the existence of nation-state bounded sociologies in Europe and the absence of any truly European arena of exchanging ideas and debates. Finally we offer a detailed analysis of a recently established truly European funding agency, the European Research Council (ERC). Looking at its first cohorts of grantees reveals that this scheme does not support disciplines as such but established something like a post-disciplinary world of scholarship. We will end with some considerations about the potential for integrating sociology in Europe in the foreseeable future. Most probably sociology will continue to be practiced separately at the nation-state level, indicated by the languages used, and play a minor and nearly independent role at the newly established post-disciplinary arena of highly recognized and well-funded projects within the ERC program.
