The Social Science of the Citizen Society Volume 1
- 232 pages
- 9 hours of reading
The social sciences and humanities are increasingly recognizing the need for self-critical reshaping of their theorizing. The first critique emphasizes the importance of ‘globalizing’ social science thought, while the second focuses on ‘de-colonizing’ it. In this timely exploration, Michael Kuhn examines how the globalization of social science requires an understanding of nation-state perspectives as a crucial methodological approach. He argues that de-colonialization, through the critique of Eurocentrism, facilitates the adoption of nation-state views, leading to a diverse array of ‘provincialized’ theories. This indigenization of thought contributes to the ideological frameworks of newly formed states in the Global South, often mirroring the systems of their former colonizers. Kuhn discusses how these indigenized theories influence discourse among de-colonized theories, determining which provincialized theory prevails in the global theoretical landscape. He also highlights how proponents of globally de-colonized thinking present imperial thought as foundational for human understanding. Additionally, he explores the templates provided by Historical Materialism for shifting from anti-capitalist to nationalist ideologies, and the implications of these shifts for the role of social sciences in political discussions worldwide.






