Scientific Journal Publication in the Making of Russian Sociology: The Phenomenon of “Rubezh” Journal, 1991–2001

  • Asalkhan Boronoev Saint Petersburg State University
  • Denis Mironov St. Petersburg State University
Keywords: history of Russian sociology, publication of sociological journals, “Rubezh” journal, sociological community, institutionalization of sociology, sociological education

Abstract

This article focuses on the development of sociological journals in Russia. The authors argue that the spread of sociological journals in Russia influenced the consolidation and professionalization of the sociological community, the establishment of communications within it, and the institutionalization of sociology as a science. The article builds
on a historical and sociological review of the development of sociological journals in Russia, starting from the end of the 19th century. The first steps were made by Maxim Kovalevsky, a Russian sociologist who started the journal “New Ideas in Sociology”. The journal contributed to the formation and consolidation of the Russian sociological community, assisted communication with Western sociologists and the dissemination of sociological ideas in the educational sphere. In the Soviet era, the status of sociology as a scientific discipline and, accordingly, its institutionalization was questioned. In this context, “Sotsiologicheskie Issledovaniya” (Sociological Studies) – a Soviet sociological journal – assumed the role of a quasi-institutional establishment which united Soviet sociologists and supported their professional identity. In the post-Soviet period, sociological journals continued to play a similar role. The authors examine the particular case of “Rubezh” (Frontier), which, in their opinion, played a prominent role in the revival of sociological education in Russia in the 1990s. The journal “Rubezh” enlightened the readership on the most important moments in the history of Russian and world sociology and the most debated issues in modern sociology. It became the meeting point for discussion and opinion exchange between Russian and foreign sociologists. The authors conclude that the journal “Rubezh” should be considered as a prominent example of how modern sociological journals could continue advance sociology in Russia today.

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Author Biographies

Asalkhan Boronoev, Saint Petersburg State University

DSc in Philosophy, Professor, Department for Theory and History of Sociology, Saint Petersburg State University. Address: 7–9, Universitetskaya Emb., Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation. E-mail: pavlova@mail.ru

Denis Mironov, St. Petersburg State University

PhD in Sociology, Associate Professor, Department for Theory and History of Sociology, Saint Petersburg State University. Address: 7–9, Universitetskaya Emb., Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation. E-mail: d.mironov@spbu.ru

Published
2021-04-18
How to Cite
BoronoevA., & MironovD. (2021). Scientific Journal Publication in the Making of Russian Sociology: The Phenomenon of “Rubezh” Journal, 1991–2001. Universe of Russia, 30(2), 167-179. https://doi.org/10.17323/1811-038X-2021-30-2-167-179
Section
SOCIOLOGICAL JOURNALISM