HS Special Desk 
Introduction on Power and Authority In the study of sociology, few thinkers have had as enduring an influence as Max Weber. As one of the founding figures of modern social science, Weber sought to understand the dynamics of society through the lens of social action, culture, economy, and politics. Among his many theoretical contributions, his … Read more
Introduction The emergence of modern culture has long been a subject of deep inquiry within sociology, and few thinkers have articulated its complexities as clearly as Georg Simmel. A founding figure in classical sociology, Simmel examined how modernity reshaped individual life, social interaction, and cultural expression. For Simmel, modern culture was not simply a collection … Read more
Introduction on Forms of Interaction Georg Simmel, one of the founding figures of sociology, is often regarded as a pioneer of micro-sociological analysis. Unlike Karl Marx, Max Weber, or Emile Durkheim, who primarily emphasized large social structures, Simmel devoted his intellectual energy to understanding the everyday patterns of interaction and their impact on human individuality. … Read more
Introduction Karl Marx remains one of the most influential figures in sociology, not only because of his comprehensive critique of capitalism but also for his conceptualization of class conflict as the driving force of historical development. His ideas transcend economics and political theory, deeply embedding themselves in the sociological imagination. Marx viewed society as an … Read more
Introduction Nation-building and the construction of national identity are deeply sociological processes, shaped not only by political leadership and statecraft but also by historical memory, cultural narratives, ethnic composition, and global influences. In Kazakhstan, a vast Central Asian country with a complex past, these processes take on special significance. Since gaining independence from the Soviet … Read more
Introduction Karl Marx (1818–1883), one of the most influential thinkers in sociology, philosophy, and political economy, developed the theory of Historical Materialism as the foundation of his analysis of society and social change. Historical Materialism refers to the view that material conditions—especially the mode of production and the relations of production—are the driving forces behind … Read more
Introduction Among the classics of sociology, Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905) stands as a landmark in understanding the relationship between religion, culture, and economic life. While Karl Marx emphasized material conditions and economic structures in shaping society, Weber took a different route: he sought to understand how ideas, beliefs, … Read more
Introduction on Social Action and Authority Max Weber, one of the founding fathers of sociology, occupies a distinct place in social thought for his systematic analysis of modern society. Unlike Karl Marx, who emphasized economic structures, or Émile Durkheim, who highlighted social facts, Weber placed individual meaning and action at the center of sociological inquiry. … Read more
Sociology, as a scientific discipline, seeks to understand the complexity of social reality. Yet, social reality is too vast, diverse, and dynamic to be captured directly in its totality. To make sense of it, sociologists require conceptual tools that can reduce complexity without distorting meaning. One such profound methodological tool is the “Ideal Type” introduced … Read more
Introduction The concept of the division of labour has been a subject of discussion in economics, philosophy, and sociology for centuries. While thinkers like Adam Smith examined it from an economic perspective, focusing on efficiency and productivity, Émile Durkheim, one of the founding fathers of sociology, gave it a distinctly sociological interpretation. For Durkheim, the … Read more