Slovene Sociological Association

The Slovene Sociological Association (Slovensko sociološko društvo) is a non-governmental organisation operating in the public interest in the professional field of sociology. It brings together sociologists and all others who share an interest in sociology, and works to develop and affirm sociology as a profession and scientific discipline while strengthening its role in the social life and culture of Slovenia. It is the oldest sociological association in Slovenia, founded in 1965, and is a member of the European Sociological Association (ESA). The association was established as the Society of Sociologists of Slovenia (Društvo sociologov Slovenije) at a time when the first generation of students enrolled in the independent sociology programme at the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana (study year 1960/61) had already graduated. In 1978 it was renamed the Slovene Sociological Association. Its first president was Zdravko Mlinar. The association has consistently responded to current social developments and also supports the publication of original domestic sociological books, and is a co-publisher of the journal Družboslovne razprave. The association organises an annual autumn Sociological Meeting devoted to current social questions, and it maintains 11 thematic sections covering areas such as social welfare, gender and society, social work, religion, intercultural studies, sociology of science, development strategies, sociology of education, pedagogy, economy and society, and terminology. It also organises, together with the Slovenian Association for Technical Culture (ZOTKS), a national sociology competition for secondary-school students, and it issues calls for secondary-school sociological essays. The current president of the association is Aleksandra Kanjuo Mrčela. The association is a member of the European Sociological Association, and its members participate individually or collectively in many of its sections. In 2012, at a meeting in Maribor, the association hosted the ESA's Research Network for Quantitative Methods (RN 21).

The Slovene Sociological Association was founded in 1965 as the Society of Sociologists of Slovenia (Društvo sociologov Slovenije), making it the oldest sociological association in Slovenia. It was established after a larger group of the first generation of students who had enrolled in the independent sociology programme at the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana in the 1960/61 study year had graduated. In addition to this group of "originally" educated sociologists, the initial membership included social scientists (initially mainly lawyers and psychologists) who were active in sociological research at the Institute of Sociology and Philosophy at the University of Ljubljana, founded in 1959. In 1978 the association was renamed the Slovene Sociological Association. From the beginning of the 1970s, members joined especially from among sociologists who had graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences (from 1991), formerly the Faculty of Sociology, Political Science and Journalism (renamed in 1970), which was the successor of the Higher School of Political Science (founded in 1961). The independent undergraduate sociology programme was transferred to it in the 1966/67 study year (when it was renamed the Higher School of Sociology, Political Science and Journalism), while the two-subject study programme continued to develop at the Faculty of Arts. In the early 21st century, the education of sociologists at the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana was joined by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor. The first president of the association was Zdravko Mlinar. The association, which from its founding has worked for the development and affirmation of sociology as a profession and scientific discipline, connects sociologists active in various professional fields in different ways. In the first twenty years, the association played an important role at the regional level in implementing substantively diverse activities (e.g. organising annual scientific meetings, round tables, etc.), and their activity declined after the abolition of the socialist political system. The diversity of research, analytical, advisory and pedagogical work of professional sociologists from the beginning of the 1980s encouraged the creation of sections; by the end of the 1980s, eight were operating within the association. Before the expansion of information and communication technologies, the association published an information bulletin, Novice. The association supports the publication of original domestic sociological books and encourages publishing activity. Since 1983 it has been a co-publisher of the journal Družboslovne razprave, which was initially the bulletin of the Institute of Sociology, and since 1991 has been published in cooperation with the Faculty of Social Sciences. After two years of discussion, in 1992 the association adopted a revised Code of Professional Ethics, which represents an important component of autonomous professional activity. During the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovene sociologists (especially Z. Mlinar, N. Toš, P. Klinar) played an important role in the "Yugoslav Association for Sociology" – particularly by directing professional interest to pressing problems of the existence and development of Yugoslav society, as well as to questions of the professionalisation of sociology (M. Jogan). For example, in 1972 the association organised a very high-profile consultation on social conflicts in Portorož with the participation of sociologists from fifteen countries (62 papers, almost 400 participants), and in the 1980s the association was the initiator of a complex treatment of the crisis in the then Yugoslav society (meetings in Maribor in 1982 and Portorož in 1983) and of democratisation in Slovene society. In the years 1970–1990 the association was the bearer of the international networking of the "Yugoslav Association for Sociology". Throughout, Slovene sociologists were also active in the "International Sociological Association" (ISA), in which they held leading roles in more than ten sections – for example V. Rus, Z. Mlinar, A. Barbič, and in the 1990s in the formation (M. Jogan) and operation of the "European Sociological Association" (ESA). The association has consistently responded to current social developments, as is evident both from the themes of its annual meetings and from the articles of its members. The social engagement of the association was particularly evident during the time of democratisation in Slovenia. Some members of the association participated in writing the "writers' constitution". This "constitution" was published as Gradivo za slovensko ustavo (Ljubljana: Časopis za kritiko znanosti, 1988). The Slovene Sociological Association is a member of the European Sociological Association (ESA), and its members participate individually or collectively in many of its sections. Most recently, at a meeting in Maribor in 2012, the association hosted its Research Network for Quantitative Methods (RN 21). The association consists of 11 thematic sections: Section for Social Welfare Issues, Section for Gender and Society, Section for Social Work, Religious Studies Section, Section for Intercultural Studies, Section for Sociology of Science, Section for Development Strategies, Section for Sociology of Education, Pedagogical Section, Section for Economy and Society, and Terminological Section. The central annual event organised by the Slovene Sociological Association is the autumn Annual Meeting, devoted to current social questions. Past annual meeting themes have included: The role of sociological and political science research in guiding development at the municipal level (1980), Sociological cross-sections of Slovene society (1981), Integration and disintegration processes in Yugoslav society (1982), The role of regions in the development of Slovene society (1983), Quality of life (1984), Development and crisis of social activities (…).

• 2025

  Celebrated its 60th anniversary.

• 2012

  Hosted the ESA's Research Network for Quantitative Methods (RN 21) at a meeting in Maribor.

• 1992

  Adopted a revised Code of Professional Ethics.

• 1983

  Became co-publisher of the journal Družboslovne razprave.

• 1978

  Renamed the Slovene Sociological Association (Slovensko sociološko društvo).

• 1972

  Organised a high-profile consultation on social conflicts in Portorož with participants from fifteen countries.

• 1965

  Founded as the Society of Sociologists of Slovenia (Društvo sociologov Slovenije).

Non-governmental professional association in the public interest, dedicated to developing and affirming sociology as a profession and scientific discipline in Slovenia.

• Annual Sociological Meeting

  Central annual autumn event devoted to current social questions.

• Družboslovne razprave

  Journal co-published by the association since 1983.

• National sociology competition for secondary-school students

  Organised together with ZOTKS.

• Secondary-school sociological essay call

  Annual call for essays.

1. 1Slovensko sociološko društvosociolosko-drustvo.si
2. 2Slovene Sociological Associationwikidata.org
3. 3Slovensko sociološko društvosl.wikipedia.org