The Tasks of Social Theory: Personal Calls for Papers.

The article presents views of several sociologists regarding the future direction of social theory and its task in the 1st century. The growing strength of social theory has now placed it at a crossroads: it will have to decide whether it is going to become an overspecialized undisciplined within sociology or a central dimension to sociology, and to social science more broadly. One of the article authors is of the view that sociology is both a theoretical and an empirical discipline and it is important that these dimensions do not lose sight of each other. A second set of questions relates to the relationship between social theory and its public unction. Today sociologists are witnessing transformation in the production and legitimation of knowledge. Social theory needs to face up to the challenge of the democratic legitimation of knowledge. It will not be enough to resist specialization within sociology and social science. Another author is of the view that all the papers published in the journal should be interested in bridging the gap between the classical tradition of sociological theorizing and the sociologists' need to understand and solve contemporary social problems.