The paradigmatic status of contemporary sociology in South Africa

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Abstract
An analysis of the culmination of sociological theory in South Africa today reveals that all the major theoretical trends in the world have been clearly manifested here since the inception of sociology. At least five rival schools can be distinguished in this country at present: functionalism (based on a positivistic theory of science), Marxism, phenomenological sociology, pluralism, and Calvinistic sociology. These schools could perhaps be linked to three basic metatheoretical world-views, namely positivism,realism and idealism. To date, however, no effort has been made to describe the underlying paradigm(s) of South African sociology.The present structure of sociological theory might hamper its future development in South Africa. S. Afr. J. Sociol. 1984, 15(1): 1 – 4

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