A Historical Account of Danish Sociology ― A Troubled Sociology

This book provides the first English-language account of the history of Danish sociology, from the late 19th century to the present day. Focusing on the discipline's struggle for recognition in Denmark, Kropp analyzes the fascinating story of the slow and troublesome institutionalization of sociology in this small Scandinavian country. In doing so, he creates a case study of how sociological knowledge has entered into ever-changing coalitions with welfare state bureaucracies, and how these alliances have become entangled with sociological knowledge production. The book also demonstrates how sociologists have adapted to the demands of other scientific disciplines and state bureaucracy, and how they dealt with the closing and re-opening of their departments in the late 1980s.

A Historical Account of Danish Sociology offers a ground-breaking overview of the relationship between Danish sociology, other branches of the social sciences, higher education policies and the Scandinavian welfare state.

Kristoffer Kropp is Associate Professor at Roskilde University, Denmark. His research focuses on the history of sociology as well as on the production of social science knowledge and the relationship between social science, political institutions and the European integration process.