In this work, I discuss the place of political sociology within institutional divisions of the social sciences, inquiring whether it comprises a subject area or a subfield of a discipline and addressing the difficulties that political sociology faces in view of paradigmatic specializations: that of institutionalist state studies versus those focused on the political culture, particularly civil society. Then, I discuss the role of some operational, methodological or paradigmatic constraints for building knowledge in political sociology, such as the prevalence of a lingua franca in Science and the colonial legacy in knowledge production, concentrated in hegemonic academic centers. Finally, it is estimated the relevance for political sociology of a thematic approach able to strengthen the dialogue between institutionalist and political-cultural perspectives, seeking a deeper understanding of the dilemmas, conflicts and contentions between civil society, social movements and the State in contemporary Brazil.
Institutionalist state studies; Political culture perspective; Emerging social movements; Decolonial turn