Is another Social Science Possible? The Decolonial Option.

• In Event: 545 - Section on Sociology of Culture Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 13. Theory I

Abstract

This paper is about interrelating two ongoing shifts in sociological thinking. Shifts that are happening, albeit (too) slowly, in the social sciences, which are also happening – and I think a bit faster but still ongoing – in the academic style of thinking: The first is the shift that can be discovered with decolonial writers; the second shift is a shift away from identifying and – like a notary or auditor – ‘taking and making notice’ of problems towards seeing in problems the opportunities they afford (instead). In considering these two shifts as interrelated and interdependent, we can call this moment the decolonial turn to opportunity – and therein reclaim the concept ‘opportunity’ from any of the fashionable individualizing and ‘exploitative’ deployments. This turn of events, considered somewhat programmatically, improves on what hsa been considered the important line of inquiry into psotcolonial scoiology.
I illustrate the importance of the decolonial option on the subject of digital culture and the question for the 'legitimacy of the digital age'.

Author

• Alexander I. Stingl, Drexel University