Facing an Unequal World: Challenges for a Global Sociology

The challenge of global sociology can be seen in defining its object, but just as important the challenge calls for recognition of the inequalities and dominations that divide the international community of sociologists. This was focus of the conference of National Sociological Associations that took place in Taipei in March, 2009. Here we discussed such inequalities as linguistic domination, economic divides, political oppressions, regional constellations within which these inequalities crystallize as well as emergent global disciplinary hierarchies promoted by a widespread audit culture. Only by first understanding these divisions can we begin to develop a global community that willtranscendnational boundaries, but also defend the interests of sociologists within local, national and regional contexts, and, on that basis, tackle the enormous problems generated by the new era of globalization.