Identidad profesional, regulación y práctica de la Sociología y la Ciencia Política en España

The article explores the professional exercise of sociology and political science in Spain, taking into account the process of decentralization of its professional associations, the regulation, and the strategies put in place to increase its presence, influence, power, credibility and attractiveness to potential members. The research is novel since the role of the professional associations as regulatory mechanisms has been widely theorized, but the use of empirical methodology to address the topic is rare. The study focuses, first, on the strategic discussion on the professions; the regulations are then reviewed and, finally, the phenomenon is explored on the basis of answers to a questionnaire addressed to the representatives of the governing body of territorial associations. The empirical analysis shows some important conclusions about the instability and uncertainty that sociology and political science face and its difficulties in achieving further development and professional penetration. The solutions provided from the perspective of the actors are very polarized between those who advocate the establishment of interdisciplinary spaces with nearby professional fields and those who believe that strong corporatism is necessary.