MIŞCAREA SOCIOGRAFICĂ DE LA „SOCIETATEA DE MÂINE” ŞI RAPORTUL EI CU SOCIOLOGIA MONOGRAFICĂ
The Sociographic Movement around the Journal “Societatea de mâine” and Its Relation to Monographic Sociology

Summary/Abstract: In the present paper the author aims at demonstrating that the Romanian Social Institute of Bucharest was not the sole institutional framework for the social research carried out in interwar Romania. Side by side with the respective Institute (and those which were organizationally and/or methodologically affiliated to it) the history of Romanian sociology also recorded among others the sociographic activity of the researchers gathered around the journal “Societatea de mâine” [Tomorrow’s Society] led by I. Clopoţel. In order to evaluate the activity of the group, the author discusses two issues: 1) to what extent the activity of the sociographic group from Cluj can be evaluated in terms of a scientific movement proper? 2) what is the relationship between the sociography promoted by the researchers from Cluj and sociology, to be more specific monographic sociology? Emphasizing the fact that the survey was the basis of social theory and practice, I. Clopoţel attempted at gathering all potential research forces throughout the country around the journal “Societatea de mâine” and initiating systematic social researches. Methodologically speaking, the researchers from Cluj elaborated common working tools with the view to developing a unitary research and collecting scientifically relevant data. According to the group, sociolography was not an autonomous discipline, but rather a “science” complementary to sociology or, to be more specific, a first and mandatory stage of sociological knowledge, the stage of collecting the data required by any theoretical construct. In agreement to this opinion, sociographic research should be subordinated to sociology, namely to monographic sociology and adopt the latter’s concerns and research methodology. Nevertheless, I. Clopoţel suggested and practiced another approach to social reality. He did not participate in the activity of monographing social units, which sketched a rather static picture of the village despite its systematic character, but aimed at capturing the dynamics of the rural area. His thematic choices and the researches resulted from their implementation in social research practice enriched the “classic” sociographic model with a new meaning, namely the definition, and examination of, and finding a solution to social issues. All in all, according to the researchers around the journal “Societatea de mâine” sociography was more than a mere antechamber of sociology, it was an autonomous discipline between sociology and politics.

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