SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, ORIENTALISM AND THE OTHER

Abstract

In the most general sense. the subjects of study for sociology, anthropology and orientalism are human societies. However, each of these disciplines focuses on a different type of society historically and as differentiated in time, and have different tields of research. The three disciplines completed their processes of institutionalization in the 19th century and the borders between them and their respective fields of responsibility were defined in broad lines. The change in the West's relationship with its "other"s also brought about a transformation in the borders and relations between the disciplines. The post-World War II re-structuring of relations of dominance changed the expectations from border-disciplines positioned between disciplines. The new expectations engendered a change in the interests and areas of focus of the sciences, too. This article, revolving around the axis of the problem of the "other," focuses on the transformation sociology, anthropology and orientalism, which chose Eastern societies and civilisations as its field of research, underwent.