Soziologie wohin? Ein persönlicher Rückblick mit allgemeiner Vorblicksabsicht.

The paper tries to explain how sociology as social research was re-founded in Austria after World-War II. It discusses a basic trend of applied research and demonstrates its theory of science implications and potential. The second half of the paper proposes to look at the increasing endeavors towards interdisciplinary cooperation as the future of the „historical mission“ of sociology. Instead of a further development of „general theory“ trying to hold together a more and more disintegrating field of sociology, thematic areas to focus upon in interdisciplinary studies are seen as the future tasks of social science. This might (and ought to) lead to a new fruitful confrontation with paradigmatic philosophical concepts of a postmodern character. Philosophy rather than general sociological theory should animate empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]