George Steinmetz, "The Colonial Origins of Modern Social Thought: French Sociology and the Overseas Empire" (Princeton UP, 2024)
Dec 6, 2024
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George Steinmetz, Charles Tilly Collegiate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan, dives into the intertwining of colonialism and French sociology. He explores how colonial experiences shaped major thinkers like Pierre Bourdieu and the influence of sociologists in shaping colonial policies. Steinmetz discusses the concept of 'disciplinary amnesia', revealing the neglect of anti-colonial voices, and examines the role of sociology in healthcare and education during colonial rule. This thought-provoking conversation highlights the lasting impact of colonial legacies on social thought.
George Steinmetz's work highlights the significant impact of colonialism on the development of French sociology and its theories.
The intricate relationship between sociologists and colonialism illustrates how their experiences shaped critical critiques of imperialism.
Steinmetz challenges conventional narratives by revealing the ethical dilemmas and contradictions encountered in colonial sociology's historical context.
Future volumes from Steinmetz will explore the emergence and legacy of sociological frameworks within British and German colonial experiences.
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George Steinmetz's Contributions in Sociology
George Steinmetz, a prominent figure in sociology, delves into the intricate relationships between sociology, colonialism, and social thought in his comprehensive work. His research bridges historical insights with contemporary sociological discussions, highlighting how colonial practices influenced modern social frameworks. A pivotal aspect of his work is the exploration of the role sociologists played in shaping, critiquing, and understanding the colonial context. Steinmetz's findings challenge traditional narratives and contribute significantly to the discourse surrounding the sociology of knowledge and its historical entanglements.
The Legacy of Colonial Sociology
Colonial sociology, as explored by Steinmetz, reveals a complex interplay of ideas and critiques that emerged from scholars intertwined with the colonial experience. This body of work often navigated the ethical dilemmas and contradictions of colonialism while seeking to understand its societal impacts. By examining key figures and their contributions, Steinmetz underscores the importance of recognizing these intellectual legacies rather than dismissing them outright. This perspective promotes a nuanced understanding of how colonial practices shaped sociological thought and development.
Durkheim's Relevance to Colonial Studies
Durkheim's writings are revisited through Steinmetz's lens, suggesting that he critically engaged with issues of colonialism and proposed frameworks that still resonate today. Contrary to the notion of his 'imperial gaze,' Durkheim's work is portrayed as offering insightful critiques of the colonial order, emphasizing moral and ethical dimensions. His analysis of social structures, particularly in the context of colonial rule, provides a foundation for contemporary sociologists to rethink earlier assumptions about race and power dynamics. This refocusing on Durkheim enriches the dialogue on colonial studies, emphasizing the need for intricate historical readings.
Future Directions in Sociological Research
Steinmetz's forthcoming volumes aim to expand the understanding of sociology's historical connections to colonialism across various national contexts, particularly in British and German sociology. These explorations will investigate how sociological frameworks emerged within these distinct empires and their lasting legacies in post-colonial contexts. Additionally, the analysis of prominent sociologists, including figures like Pierre Bourdieu, will reveal how their colonial experiences informed their theoretical contributions. Overall, Steinmetz's work serves as a catalyst for re-evaluating sociological thought within the broader historical and geopolitical frameworks.
It is only in recent years that sociologists and historians of the social sciences have given empire the attention it deserves in histories of the discipline. In this context, George Steinmetz’s The Colonial Origins of Modern Social Thought: French Sociology and the Overseas Empire (Princeton University Press) is likely to be a touchstone text in these debates. Providing a new history of the French national discipline inspired by a ‘Neo-Bourdieusian Historical Sociology of Science’, Steinmetz highlights the centrality of ‘colonial sociology’, work centered on and/or created in the French overseas colonies and protectorates to the discipline’s development.
The French state, eager to consolidate its empire after World War II, were eager to draw on the expertise of sociologists in pursuing this goal; as Steinmetz shows therefore, during this period, a focus on ‘the colonial’ became central to French sociology to the extent that roughly half the French sociological field could be considered ‘colonial sociologists’. Despite this entanglement with the French state these colonial sociologists became strong critics of imperialism. Alongside the many stories he uncovers Steinmetz explores in depth the case of four such colonial sociologists: Raymond Aron, Jacque Berque, Georges Balandier and Pierre Bourdieu, seeking to show not just the centrality of colonialism to each writer but how their experiences of empire formed their basis for their future work; for example, how Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital and field can be traced to his experiences in colonial Algeria.
In our discussion, which also marks the imminent release of the text in paperback, George takes us through this hugely enlightening text, including reflections on why there may have been some ‘disciplinary amnesia’ in sociology’s unwillingness to confront empire, the relations between sociology and other imperial disciplines, how sociologists from the colonies developed their own work, the lessons from his text about how we should confront colonial sociologists and whether Durkheim had an ‘imperial gaze’.
Your host, Matt Dawson is Professor of Sociology at the University of Glasgow and is the author of G.D.H. Cole and British Sociology: A Study in Semi-Alienation (2024, Palgrave Macmillan), among other books.
