Comparative European Politics

, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp 1–18 | Cite as

Does European integration theory need sociology?

Introduction
First Online:

Abstract

In this introduction to the special issue, we make the case for a greater use of sociological theories and methods across major approaches in European integration theory, a strategy which we call ‘mainstreaming sociology’. Although sociology as a discipline has, in contrast to political science, shown a late and so far modest interest in the European Union (EU) as a research object, a growing number of scholars is tapping into sociological notions and empirical work conducted by sociologists to expand the realm of concepts, methodologies and terrains available in EU studies. We identify four dominant theoretical approaches in European integration theory to which sociological concepts, methodologies and findings could make a distinctive contribution: constructivism, institutionalism, multi-level governance and intergovernmentalism. Our objective in doing so is not to sketch out a sociology of the EU but to evaluate how useful sociological insights can be incorporated in the political science of the EU.

Keywords

European Union sociology intergovernmentalism constructivism governance institutionalism 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

This special issue is, partially, the result of the ECPR joint sessions panel ‘Does European integration theory need sociology?’, held in Rennes in April 2008. We would like to thank Virginie Guiraudon, George Ross, Virginie van Ingelgom, Anne Sophie Krossa, Sylvain Gambert, Juan Diez Medrano, Christine Trampusch, Diana Panke and Stefan Bernhard for their lively debates and contributions to the framing of this special issue. Adrian Favell provided very useful comments on this introduction. We also thank two anonymous reviewers from Comparative European Politics. All remaining errors remain ours.

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Copyright information

© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Institut d’études politiques de Grenoble, Institut universitaire de FranceGrenobleFrance
  2. 2.Département de Science Politique, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada

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