ABSTRACT This paper engages with the recent discourse on decolonization of knowledge in South Africa from a sociological perspective. It interrogates the position and relevance of both sociology and sociologists to the development aspirations of South Africa. Its basic assumption is that sociology as a discipline is invaluable to the current needs for social reformation and reconstruction in South Africa. While the relevance of sociology as a discipline consistent with unravelling the complex and complicated dynamics of social formations remains unquestioned, its value as the embodiment of social aspirations and development has been undermined by the unquestioning assumption of the superiority of knowledge systems from outside and the glaring failure to promote sociology that is both contextualized and responsive. There is no arguing the prominent role of sociology in the liberation struggles and initial encounter with imperialism; there is also no doubt that sociologists nowadays have found comfort in an uninvolving study of society and the generation of knowledge that hardly functions as an adequate anchor for the existential needs of society. This paper therefore argues for the emergence of “frontier” sociologists and sociology of relevance which interrogates knowledge from outside and critically builds conviviality between outsider and African ontologies and epistemologies.

中文翻译：

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超越非殖民化叙事：在南非发展的背景下重新定位社会学知识

摘要 本文从社会学的角度探讨了最近关于南非知识非殖民化的讨论。它询问社会学和社会学家对南非发展愿望的立场和相关性。它的基本假设是社会学作为一门学科对于南非当前社会改革和重建的需求是无价的。虽然社会学作为一门与解开社会形态复杂而复杂的动态相一致的学科的相关性仍然是毋庸置疑的，但它作为社会愿望和发展的体现的价值已经被毫无疑问地假设来自外部的知识系统的优越性和引人注目的假设所削弱。未能促进既情境化又反应灵敏的社会学。社会学在解放斗争和与帝国主义的初次相遇中的突出作用是毋庸置疑的；毫无疑问，当今的社会学家在对社会和知识的生成中进行了无牵无挂的研究，而这些知识几乎不能作为满足社会生存需要的充分支柱。因此，本文主张出现“前沿”社会学家和相关社会学，它们从外部询问知识，并批判性地在局外人与非洲本体论和认识论之间建立欢乐。毫无疑问，当今的社会学家在对社会和知识的生成中进行了无牵无挂的研究，而这些知识几乎不能作为满足社会生存需要的充分支柱。因此，本文主张出现“前沿”社会学家和相关社会学，它们从外部询问知识，并批判性地在局外人与非洲本体论和认识论之间建立欢乐。毫无疑问，当今的社会学家在对社会和知识的生成中进行了无牵无挂的研究，而这些知识几乎不能作为满足社会生存需要的充分支柱。因此，本文主张出现“前沿”社会学家和相关社会学，它们从外部询问知识，并批判性地在局外人与非洲本体论和认识论之间建立欢乐。