Fifty Years of Post-Colonial Sociology in Maghreb

Abstract

Chenntouf tracks the evolution of sociology in the Maghreb during 50 years, by focusing on three aspects important to historical sociology: institutions specialized in the production of sociological knowledge, sociologist communities and accumulated knowledge. The author analyzes the colonial heritage, explaining the context for the launch of various institutes and institutions that produced sociological knowledge during the colonial period and after the –independence of the Maghreb countries. This expansion went through critical transitions during the 1980s in light of the wider accessibility to higher education, its Arabization, and the change in the international context. These transitions have led to new trends calling for the professionalization of knowledge and linking the university to market demands.