Entre a ciência e a profissão: dilemas da formação de sociólogos no Brasil

Abstract

The present research aims to understand the perception of university faculty regarding sociology as a profession and the way it materializes in the training offered to sociologists in Brazil. Part of the literature in the field of the sociology of professions emphasizes the centrality of the academic segment not only in the formation of new professionals but also in the creation and sharing of a set of norms, practices, and representations about professional practice, knowledge production, and the activities that can be performed, among other aspects. Dimensions that are universalized based on the position they occupy in intraprofessional competition. Understanding their ways of thinking is essential to reflect on the relationship between profession, training, and professional destinies that are either stimulated or hindered. Given the importance of postgraduate education in the constitution of the professional identity of sociologists in Brazil and the role of these institutions in consolidating social sciences in the country, the postgraduate programs evaluated in the area of sociology by CAPES were the analytical focus. Ten programs were selected across ten Brazilian states in four regions, considering their establishment time. In each program, two faculty members were chosen. The criteria that guided the selection involved age and gender profile, academic and professional trajectory, as well as affiliation to postgraduate programs evaluated in the field of sociology. To capture perceptions about the profession and training, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted based on a script that included questions about the academic and professional trajectory of the faculty; evaluation of the training provided in undergraduate and postgraduate courses; motivations and professional placements of students; and the dynamics of postgraduate classes. The main results indicate that faculty members understand sociology as an intellectual activity dedicated to the production of scientific knowledge in universities, based on a model of dissociation between science and profession. There is an overvaluation of theoretical training at the expense of practical dimensions. This is reflected in the faculty's lack of awareness of professional opportunities outside academia, the absence of systematic reflections on the job market and issues concerning students' employability; the undervaluation of teaching degrees and the place occupied by teaching in both undergraduate and postgraduate training; and the low presence of practical courses, especially in quantitative methodology. The way of conceiving the profession hinders both the training and the professional insertion of students into the two professional paths encouraged by faculty and courses – teaching and research. The longevity of sociology, both in its capacity to attract and retain new students and in its relevance in public debate, depends on the integration of science and profession and on addressing the practical dimension in teaching and research.