Social Research at the University: Professional Experiences at the Edge of the Profession

• Published in: Soziale Welt 1998-01, p.193-208
• Main Author: Peisert, Hansgert
• Format: Article
• Language: ger
• Subjects: Academic Careers; Academic Disciplines; College Faculty; History of Sociology; Intellectual Development; Research Applications; Scholarship; Social Science Research; Sociological Research
• ISSN: 0038-6073

Hansgert Peisert was a latecomer to social research, sociology, & the university track. He continued his education by chance after the impact of the NS-era & the existentiality of his situation as a "child soldier." Though he hoped to study economic engineering, a lack of study places led him to Berlin, where he studied economics & lived hand to mouth. His true education began in Basel, where he became a general economist without specific professional plans. Peisert completed his dissertation on the causes & consequences of flight from the east zones, a subject that he would later return to in scientific commissions both before & after the fall of the Berlin wall. Peisert's professional profile was primarily determined by the motif of the practical capacity of sociology, particularly as applied to development of constructive aid in various political areas. Development of sociology as an academic discipline was therefore followed from the edge, though he showed continued interest in three areas of institutional engagement. Sociology is a useful science so long as it contributes to the elucidation of societal reality, though practice & research are not the only desire of students. References. L. Reed