Why we need a non-eurocentric history of sociology

A reply to Carlos Sell

Visualizações: 163

Authors

  • João Marcelo Ehlert Maia Fundação Getúlio Vargas

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20336/rbs.1127

Keywords:

sociological theory, Eurocentrism, classics of sociology, postcolonial sociology, non-Eurocentric history of sociology

Abstract

This article responds to Carlos Sell’s text, “The Destruction of the Classics of Sociology: Democratization or Homogenization?” In my critique, I challenge Sell’s diagnosis of sociology’s current state and argue that a non-Eurocentric history of the discipline is essential for fostering reflexive theoretical and pedagogical awareness. Contrary to Sell’s claims, I dispute the notion that such an approach constitutes an “attack on the classics” or leads to theoretical homogeneity and a one-dimensional understanding of sociology’s past

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Author Biography

João Marcelo Ehlert Maia, Fundação Getúlio Vargas

Doutor em Sociologia (IUPERJ), professor associado da FGV CPDOC (Escola de Ciências Sociais).

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Published

24-09-2025

How to Cite

Maia, J. M. E. (2025). Why we need a non-eurocentric history of sociology: A reply to Carlos Sell. Brazilian Journal of Sociology, 13. https://doi.org/10.20336/rbs.1127

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