Ukrainian Sociological Institute: Factional Politics, Research, and Intelligence Services in the Development of Ukrainian Sociology

Abstract

In the history of Ukrainian sociology, it is considered that there were two organizations with the name "Ukrainian Sociological Institute". This article argues that they should be seen as two stages of one process — the academic and disciplinary institutionalization of Ukrainian sociology, which took place amid an (un)favorable and contradictory political struggle among Ukrainian revolutionary socialists (“esers”). This study attempts to characterize the context of this struggle and its significance for the institutional development of Ukrainian sociology in the first third of the 20th century. Ukrainian “esers” played a key role in endorsing the idea of establishing a professional sociological institution. The notion that the history of the two institutes should be considered separately emerged due to the competition between two opposing “eser” factions, one rallying around Mykhailo Hrushevsky and the other around Mykyta Shapoval. The article also provides an analysis-based overview of the institute's activities, considering the international context of contemporary sociology's development, using archival documents and sources of that time. Despite not always favorable conditions, the Ukrainian Sociological Institute (USI) spurred the emergence of new research directions and established a meaningful dialogue with the global sociological community. While much of the work of the USI has become part of the history of social and behavioral sciences, the author formulates three theses that, in his opinion, attest to the potential value of studying the USI's activities for modern Ukrainian sociology: rediscovering potential classics and seeking theoretical insights, decolonization/decommunization of Ukrainian sociology, and the first example in the history of Ukrainian sociology of a "strong program" through dialogue with civil society. It is argued that the USI was able to work quite effectively, primarily by skillfully integrating its activities into the network of civic initiatives and communities of Ukrainians on several continents, thereby testing sustainable practices that remain relevant today.