Percepciones sobre el estudio de la sociología en algunas facultades y departamentos de universidades en Colombia.

Abstract

This research analyzes perceptions of how political and social conflicts in Colombia influenced the institutional and theoretical–curricular transformations of several sociology programs in universities across the country. Using a qualitative, historical–descriptive approach, the study explored the experiences and opinions of five sociology graduates from Colombian universities. The historical–descriptive perspective aimed to understand processes of change and continuity over time by examining the social, political, and cultural factors shaping the studied phenomena. To this end, a documentary review was conducted, along with semi-structured interviews with professors and graduates from Colombian institutions such as the National University of Colombia, Santo Tomás University, and the University of Valle. The findings show that political violence, student movements, and neoliberal reforms transformed the role of the university, turning it into a space for resistance, critique, and the production of socially engaged knowledge. Through the process of open coding, four central analytical categories emerged: political commitment, situated sociology, critical and formative value, and lack of visibility. These dimensions reveal the tension between academic autonomy, epistemic dependence, and the need to build a contextualized and transformative sociology. Therefore, it is concluded that sociopolitical conflicts, despite posing challenges to the discipline, fostered a renewal within sociology programs that consolidated the field as a critical, situated, and socially committed discipline.