Sosyolojide Çocukluğun ve Çocukların Yeri: Çocukluk Sosyolojisinin Erken Dönem Kurumsallaşma Sorunları Üzerine Bir Tartışma

1980’lerin ortalarından itibaren sosyolojide ortaya çıkan çocukluğa ve çocuklara yönelik yeni ilgi kısa sürede -1990’lar boyunca- ayrı bir alt disiplin olarak kurumsallaşma çabalarına evrilmiştir. Bu erken dönem kurumsallaşma pratiği disiplinlerarası yaklaşım, sosyoloji derneklerinin örgütlenme biçimi, öncü ve kurucu çalışmalarda sosyolojik teori ile kurulan ilişkinin niteliği gibi temel eğilimler çerçevesinde gerçekleşmiştir. Fakat bu temel eğilimlerin çocukluk sosyolojisinin ana akım sosyolojideki -sosyolojinin temel alanlarındaki- yerini sorunsallaştırarak onun bir alt disiplin olarak sosyolojinin merkezinde değil çeperinde konumlanmasına yol açtığı görülmektedir. Buradan hareketle makalenin temel argümanı günümüzde çocukluk sosyolojisinin sosyolojinin çeperinde konumlanmasının onun erken dönem kurumsallaşma pratiği ile yakından ilişkili olduğudur. Makalenin amacı, erken dönem kurumsallaşma pratiğindeki temel eğilimlerin çocukluk sosyolojisinin ana disiplindeki statüsünü nasıl ‘sorunlu’ hale getirdiğini tartışmaktır. Tartışma güçlü/sağlam bir sosyoloji kimliği geliştirmeden benimsenen disiplinlerarası yaklaşım, çocuk-yetişkin ikiliğine düşen kavramsal özerklik pratiği ve sosyoloji kuramlarıyla “yetersiz/zayıf” ilişki kurma iddiaları etrafında şekillenmektedir. Ayrıca makalenin diğer amacı bu soruna ilişkin alternatif yolların gerekliliğini vurgulamaktır. Bu bağlamda alternatif disiplinlerarası yaklaşım olarak sosyolojinin diğer alt disiplinleri ile ilişki kurma ve kuramsal olarak ilişkisel yaklaşım gibi eğilimler çocukluk sosyolojisini ana akım sosyolojinin odağına çekmeye imkân sağlayabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

çocukluk sosyolojisi, kurumsallaşma, disiplinlerarasılık, sosyoloji dernekleri, sosyolojik teori

The Place of Childhood and Children in Sociology: A Discussion on the Problems of Early Period Institutionalization of Childhood Sociology

The new interest towards childhood and children emerging in sociology since mid-1980s evolved into institutionalization efforts as a separate sub-discipline in a short time -during 1990s. This early period practice of institutionalization took place within the framework of basic dispositions such as interdisciplinary approach, organizational form of sociology associations, the nature of relationship with sociological theory in pionering and founding studies. However, it seems that these basic dispositions lead to sociology of childhood to be positioned on the periphery of sociology, not in the center as a sub-discipline, thereby problematizing the place of sociology of childhood in mainstream sociology -in the main fields of sociology-. Hence, the main argument of the article is that sociology of childhood to be positioned on the periphery of sociology is closely related to early period practice of institutionalization. The aim of the article is to discuss how these basic dispositions in early period practice of institutionalization render the status of childhood sociology ‘problematic’ in the main discipline. The debate circles around arguments of interdisciplinary approach adopted without developing a strong/solid sociology identity, practice of conceptual autonomy falling into child-adult dichotomy and ‘inadequate/weak’ relationship with sociological theories. Besides, the other aim of the article is to emphasize the necessity of alternative ways in relation to this problem. In this context, dispositions such as relationality with the other sub-discipline of sociology as alternative interdisciplinary approach and theoratically relational approach may make possible sociology of childhood to be focus of mainstream sociology.

Keywords:

sociology of childhood, Institutionalization, Interdisciplinarity, Sociological Associations, Sociological Theory,

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