Introduction
Sociology in Afghanistan’s Higher Education System
Compared to other sciences, sociology is a relatively young discipline. As Auguste Comte, the founder of the field, and other early theorists observed, the comparatively late development of sociology reflects the profound complexity of human society. The Broader advancement of science and rational thought, and more specifically the scientific and industrial revolution in the West, fostered the belief that social realities could also be studied using appropriate scientific methods. What further underscored the importance of founding sociology as a discipline were the dramatic social transformations and the emergence of complex problems in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and other parts of the world. The year 1217 SH (1838 CE) marks the beginning of formal sociology in the West; However, the situation in Afghanistan has been different.
Kabul University, the country’s first and largest center of higher education, is less than a century old. Within the university, a Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences was initially established under the Faculty of Language and literature, and several sociology courses were gradually incorporated into its curriculum. From 1359 SH onward, the Faculty of Social Sciences comprising the Departments of History, Philosophy and Social Sciences, and Journalism began operating as an independent faculty. In 1392 SH, the “Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences” was renamed the “Department of Philosophy and Sociology.” Additionally, a Department of Sociology was established at Kabul Education University in 1383 SH.
It is noteworthy, however, that the teaching of sociology courses in both universities including research methods, theories, schools of thought, and subfields such as urban sociology, rural sociology, development sociology, family sociology, and political sociology was often carried out by instructors who held only a bachelor’s degree or who had been trained outside the discipline. Despite the very low quality of instruction during this period, the gradual incorporation of sociology into the national higher education system should nonetheless be regarded as a significant achievement.
One must not overlook the decisive role of Sayed Askar Mousavi, who holds a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Oxford and served as Senior Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education, in strengthening and expanding sociology in Afghanistan. With his support and initiative, the first formally trained sociologist, Sayed Nooroddin Alavi who had research experience across several branches of the social sciences joined the Faculty of Social Sciences at Kabul University in 1383 SH. From that point until 1390 SH, a number of notable positive development took place in the field; several of which merit particular attention:
2: The systematic teaching of core sociology subjects began at Kabul University and was later introduced at Kabul Education University.
1: A series of courses on Research Methods was organized by the Department of Social Sciences at the National Center for Policy Research, led by Ms. Leila Jazayeri, a sociology graduate of the University of Oxford, offered to instructors from all humanities disciplines at Kabul University as well as to the top three students in each field and at a time when knowledge and skills in research methodology were minimal these courses were warmly received and had a substantial impact on strengthening the position of sociology at Kabul University. Among the instructors were Dr. Alef Shah Zadran, who holds a PhD in anthropology from the United States, and Sayed Nooroddin Alavi.
3: Eight students from the Department of Philosophy and Sociology in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Kabul University members of a single cohort graduating in 1384 SH along with several of their peers, engaged in rigorous and methodical study of sociology through commendable effort and perseverance. They subsequently joined the academic staff at Kabul Education University and Bamiyan University. Today, most of these instructors, holding doctoral and master’s degrees, continue to teach and conduct research at their respective universities; among them, Dr. Omid Afghan and Mr. Hamid Qaderi are co-founders of the Afghanistan Sociological Association.
At present, Departments of Sociology, at ten public universities in Afghanistan are officially active at the undergraduate level, with their curricula approved by the Ministry of Higher Education, overseen by the Department of Sociology at Kabul Education University. It is noteworthy that after master’s programs in “Philosophy and Sociology” and “History” were launched at Kabul University in 1363 SH but subsequently suspended during the Taliban’s rule, no other public universities except Kabul Education University have established master’s or doctoral programs in the field. In 1400 SH, Kabul Education University became the first public university to launch a Master’s program in Sociology, following approval by the Ministry of Higher Education.
With the emergence of the first generation of private universities in Afghanistan (during the Karzai administration), institutions such as Kateb, Khatam al-Nabieen, Ibn Sina, and Gharjistan took steps to establish Departments of Sociology and enroll students. However, due to insufficient societal readiness, These initiatives achieved limited success in terms of student enrollment. Among these universities, only Kateb University established a Master’s program in Sociology in 1393 SH. By 1400 SH, Kateb remained the only private university offering a master’s degree in sociology.
Beyond Formal Sociology
It is important to note that the emergence of a sociological method and perspective in modern Afghanistan predates the formal establishment of academic sociology. Our focus here is on the development of historical sociology, political sociology, and literary-cultural sociology in the works of figures such as Ghulam-Mohammad “Ghol Pacha” Olfat, Fayz Mohammad Katib, Mir Ghulam Mohammad Ghobar, Sediq Farhang, Abdul Hai Habibi, Qasim Akhgar, Sayed Askar Mousavi, Asif Aahang, and others. Although these individuals did not study within the formal structures of academic sociology, and their writings make less frequent use of concepts prevalent in conventional sociology, their works demonstrate sociological insight and discernment grounded in historical critique.
Regarding the textbooks authored by sociology instructors from the late Abedin Barez to those currently teaching most (with a few exceptions) are compilations or repetitions of works published abroad. These texts primarily serve as teaching resources with their principle utility lying in the meeting the documentation and paperwork requirements of the Ministry of Higher Education’s quality enhancement programs and academic promotion processes. In other words, they demonstrate limited methodological or epistemological engagement with the historical issues and contemporary realities of Afghan society. As Sayed Askar Mousavi writes in The History of Afghanistan: “To this day, no internal or external researcher or author of Afghanistan’s history has managed to write about the country’s political, social, and intellectual transformations without referring to and drawing on Afghanistan in the Course of History by Mir Ghulam Mohammad Ghobar and Afghanistan in the Last Five Centuries by Mir Mohammad Sediq Farhang.”
The Necessity of Establishing the Afghanistan Sociological Association
All fields of knowledge are oriented toward problem-solving. Sociology is no exception. It emerged as an effort to systematically understand social phenomena in order to address questions, meet societal needs, and identify ways to resolve social problems. In Afghanistan, sociology remains in an early stage of development, akin to a toddler still finding its path. Nevertheless, given the mission assigned to it, sociology should not be declined to mere research curiosity or an academic pastime. Rather, the discipline is pursued to achieve a systematic understanding of “society,” and, in light of such understanding, to facilitate social changes and transformations conducive to development. The Afghanistan Sociological Association was established with precisely this objective in mind.
Founding the Afghanistan Sociological Association in Kabul
Among the professors and researchers active in sociology, Dr. Sayed Askar Mousavi, Dr. Sayed Hassan Vira, Dr. Sayed Nooroddin Alavi, Dr. Omid Afghan, and Leila Jazayeri founded the Afghanistan Sociological Association in 1399 SH. In terms of the Gregorian calendar, it can therefore be argued that formal sociology in Afghanistan is largely a 21st-century phenomenon.
Founding the Afghanistan Sociological Association in the United Kingdom
Following the unforeseen and profound political changes in Afghanistan and the migration of many sociology professors and researchers abroad, a group of these figures Dr. Omid Afghan, Dr. Sayed Nooroddin Alavi, Dr. Sabera Etebar, Ahmad Hamid Qaderi, and Elham Neda established the Afghanistan Sociological Association in The United Kingdom) in 2025.
Selected Positions
1: As Claude Giraud remarks: “The subject matter of sociology cannot be something defined once and for all.” The witticism of Raymond Aron that sociologists can agree on only one point, namely the difficulty of defining sociology’s subject should be taken seriously. Thus, sociology’s distinctiveness, therefore, depends on both its object of knowledge and its epistemic method. consequently, differing paradigmatic foundations have given rise to multiple approaches order-oriented vs. conflict-oriented, subjectivist vs. objectivist, micro vs. macro and, subsequently, to new synthetic approaches, as well as various subfields such as urban sociology, rural sociology, development sociology. We are at the beginning of this journey and therefore do not claim allegiance to any particular approach. However, because sociology critically examines individuals and society. it cultivates a mode of thinking essential for those who live within a society and strive to improve it. We believe that sociology, as part of liberal and emancipatory education, is an effort to liberate individuals and groups from various forms of domination. More than any other perspective, this scientific discipline has the capacity to reveal the myriad problems that arise along a society’s path toward progress and development.
2: The social sciences in general and sociology in particular, are founded on three fundamental principles:
First, Freedom of research and self-directed learning: there should be no restrictions on inquiry or the pursuit of independent knowledge;
Second, Freedom of debate and critique: there should be no limitations on the right to question or critically assess specific findings, underlying assumptions, or methodological approaches;
Third, Freedom to demystify reality: there should be no constraints on the effort to uncover, analyze, and understand the social realities of the world.
3: We emphasize the “principle of reconstructing concepts.” The possibility of errors and biases in the ontological, epistemological, and methodological foundations of formal or conventional sociology underscores the importance of skepticism, impartiality, and intellectual honesty. These qualities are essential for achieving a more precise understanding of social phenomena, while also recognizing the necessity of generating and continually re-constructing concepts.
4: Guided by the principle of concept reconstruction, we aim to avoid unwarranted generalizations. Sociological theories are inherently connected to the historical contexts and realities of the societies in which they emerge. Accordingly, we seek to assess their explanatory power for our own society through the logic of theory-testing, while simultaneously acknowledging the necessity of theory-building to ensure the continued dynamism and relevance of the discipline.
Our Major Goals
- To play a constructive role in establishing and strengthening critical sociology in Afghanistan; and
- To participate actively in the historical process of human development within society by applying sociological methods and perspectives.
