Social Analysis Is Valued Because It Is Inspired by a Will to Make a Better World - Literature review Example

Topic: ‘Social analysis is valued because it is inspired by a will to make a better world.’ (Steven Siedman, 1998) Discuss this ment. Introduction: This paper seeks to discuss Siedman’s statement in the light of its meaning in the study and purpose sociology and in the context of why the author said so. Proof of any agreement or disagreement will support the discussion. The paper will conclude based on evidence adduced in the discussion. Definition of Social Analysis Social Analysis is part of sociology, which studies group behaviour in relation to life’s realities. This is based on Dehli, K. (2004) quoting Siedman on the above topic statement which said: “At the end of the preface to his book, Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Post-modern Era (Cambridge: Blackwell 1994), Steven Seidman wrote in a more sober tone about his hopes for sociology. Seidman described his disappointment in the sorts of sociological practice that has become a narrow and specialized conversation about definitions in theory and disagreements about method. Then he wrote, more optimistically: “I return to sociology as I initially came to the discipline, with the hope of finding a home where social analysis is valued because it is inspired by a will to make a better world. …” Social analysis is then part or a technique in sociology, purpose of which, according to Sweden, is “to be a part of the ongoing conversation and conflict over the present and future shape of the social world.” Concepts and Objectives of Sociology Du Bois & Wright (2001), in their work ‘Applying sociology – Making a better world’ define the term as follows:” Sociology is the study of human social life, groups, and societies, giving special emphasis to modern industrialized systems. It is a discipline involving the ability to think imaginatively and one in which personal views of the world are set aside so we may look more carefully at the influences that shape our lives and those of others. Social structure is an important concept in sociology.” From the above definition, what group view matter? Although the author said personal views are set aside, individual goals must be disregarded. It simply means that the works of sociology is to find melting points where people of different beliefs and biases could work together for the common good. Du Bois & Wright (2001) believe in permanent construction and reconstruction of social life, which is based upon the meanings people attach to their actions. The authors thus said: “In sociological research it is important to distinguish between the intended and unintended results of human action. Sociology studies the resulting balance between social reproduction and social transformation. Social reproduction occurs because there is continuity in what people do. Social transformation - change - occurs because of intended action and unintended consequences.” Cree (2000), in discussing his work Sociology for Social Workers and Probation Officers also said: “…It is a subject that is both ordinary and extraordinary. It starts with something we implicitly know about, that is, the relationship between ourselves as individuals and society.” ….”From this we can see that we are the first subjects in the sociological enterprise, but we are also members of a particular society, born at a given historical moment with a specific gender, class, ethnic, cultural and racial grouping. It is only by stepping outside our own lives and experiences that we can begin to see the patterns and the systems that govern our existence.” The author also quoted C. Wright Mills (1959) calling this process of stepping-outside, ‘the sociological imagination’. Globalideasbank (2006) agreed saying: All sociologists should be like William du Bois, the co-editor of the superb book Applying sociology – Making a better world, an artist of life who realizes that the purpose of his profession is to help make a better world, to design programmes, to imagine a new society, to invent new social forms and to produce social inventors and social architects. Every profession in the world has its own organisations; such is the nature .of the profession in the world because the nature of a profession is service. A code of ethics exists for every profession. Sociology is at the heart of any organization. Look at any invention today, notice the computers, were they not designed to serve humanity. Look at cell phones, the internet and everything that the present generation is having. Did man not make with social relevance at the earliest state of conception? Globalideasbank (2006) in explaining the words of William du Bois on ‘Social inventing is the creation of social arrangements that encourage synergy’, said: For Du Bois and his colleagues, social inventing is the creation of social arrangements, social forms and social contexts that encourage synergy. In effective social arrangements, society is arranged so that the communal good and the individual good are identical. The same act accomplishes both the individual good and the communal good. Realistic self-fulfilment demands a context of community, supportive social resources and supportive others. Synergy also implies win-win solutions. Whether in neighbourhood or family disputes, or in business or international relations, win-win solutions are the only ones that produce a lasting peace. A social inventor must align the interests of the individual and the organisation. Otherwise, the organisation pays the price in absenteeism, employee theft and sagging morale. What do we have in organisations? In trying to resolve for example a conflict between labour and management, some may result to grievance machinery, negotiation, mediation (Schwerin, 1995), arbitration, collective bargaining () or any peaceful resolution. There is that inherent feeling that we need to understand each other because of the realization of our finite need. Seen in a bigger context, did not human being try to avoid another world war? That is the reason nations organized themselves like the United Nation in order to talk peacefully about things. All these are products of sociology after understanding the deepest cause of human yearnings for freedom for development economically, politically, and even culturally. In quoting Bois’ statement of ‘Try to achieve maximum individuality with maximum community,’ Globalideasbank (2006) said: “Du Bois also quotes Ernest Becker, who noted that the ideal for overcoming alienation is to: “try to achieve maximum individuality with maximum community”. This formula, Du Bois adds, is nothing other than synergy: “It should be how we evaluate social inventions.” “Research methods,” he writes, “too often hover between being quantitative or being qualitative. There is a third force in sociology. It is action sociology. Applying research findings and theoretical insights, sociology could become the major incubator for new projects – an inventors’ fair. ... What would we invent? We know of one university that gets grants for millions of dollars a year to study rural mental health in the region. For that kind of money, we could fix the rural mental health of the region. Imagine the resources that could be generated from that kind of money with creative applications of sociology! Universities are intent on creating researchers. We would encourage artists.” (Emphasis supplied) At this point it is proper to say that for sociology to make a better world, pep talk plays not role but action does. An action requires a decision and to decide is not easy. To decide to influence the world is a work of courage. Scott Peck in his work ‘The Road Less Travelled’ talked of spiritual power, which he defined as the capacity to make decisions with maximum awareness. In relation to sociology, those people to decide to make and penalized abuse of the environment are much concerned about the right of the present and future generation to enjoy a less polluted world where health could still be possible for everybody. The sociologist in the person of the implementer of the law is acting with the courage because of his desire for a better world. But so asserting his belief in a better world, he encounter a great opposition from those who are less aware to their duties to the environment. As noted by Siedman and seconded the by Du Bois, it is hard to find any disagreement especially in the light that it is stated in an obviously positive manner. To agree is easy but proofs make it easier. To cite one let us cite the work of King (1997) in his work ‘A Better World for Children? Explorations in Morality and Authority.’ In said work, he admitted of good intentions into social action when he said: Little in life arouses moral indignation and demands moral judgments and action more than the suffering of children, so let us start this book with morality and the ways we distinguish between good and evil. Moral discourses take the spectacle of children’s suffering and seek out the evil that has caused that suffering. … Children’s suffering inspires moral campaigns to combat what comes to be seen as ‘abuse’, to rescue children from it, to protect them from it and prevent it and to punish those who continue to perpetrate it…. (King, 1997) In dreaming a different world for children, King (1997) said at the last chapter of his work that once know how people or society really work, we shall be able to identify those controls, the buttons and levers, that will enable social workers, judges and policy makers to steer people or society in one specified direction rather than another. He continued that in the context of his book, that direction will be the one, which improves children’s lives. Further, he said that depending on the circumstances, these controls could be technological, economic, psychological, legal, religious or political. The above statement is a living testimony of how sociology could be used for societal issues on children. Humanity is endowed with that gift inherent feelings of pity and concern for others, especially true if its concerns children. The feeling would be as natural. This is what happened in the case of the 2005 Tsunami in Indonesia, where most of the victims were children. Articles were written, philosophical and religious explanations were explanations were made but still so many questions need to be answered why so many children would have to die? Had the creator meant that at a particular time, a certain place on earth would be punished? Or, is it because of man’s failure to take care of the environment. However, when you treat the problem as sociological or humanitarian, there are no boundaries among people. There is a natural feeling of having concern in situations like that. That is so in social analysis, the feeling is natural, there is an inherent inspiration that drives men than no matter what he or she does, there is a social element that it for the benefit of his neighbour or fellowman. What really prompted the author to make the statement? In the response to the question, Dehli (2004) said: “At the end of the preface to his book, Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era (Cambridge: Blackwell 1994), Steven Seidman wrote in a more sober tone about his hopes for sociology. Seidman described his disappointment in the sorts of sociological practice that has become a narrow and specialized conversation about definitions in theory and disagreements about method. Then he wrote, more optimistically: "I return to sociology as I initially came to the discipline, with the hope of finding a home where social analysis is valued because it is inspired by a will to make a better world. This does not mean giving up empirical analysis; nor does it mean abandoning analytical perspectives. However, I do believe that the purpose of sociology is not to accumulate knowledge, evolve a science of society, or build a system of sociology, but to be a part of the ongoing conversation and conflict over the present and future shape of the social world. The hope that has guided sociology and modern social theory for some 200 years is that knowledge can make a difference in our lives that its chief value lies in the kinds of lives it imagines and helps to create." The author’s context of making the statement on social analysis assumes his disappointment on specialized conversation about definitions in theory and disagreements about method. He is after the result of the sociology in terms of making a difference in our lives in many ways that man may imagine and create. He, like Bois, is also more on action than on theory although he did not discount the use of empirical analysis and analytical perspectives. By so not discounting agrees with treating sociology as a science, the findings of which, require with evidence. Conclusion and Recommendation It is hard not to agree with Siedman and Bois in the light of the overwhelming evidence presented. there is proof to the statement that social analysis is valued because it is inspired by a will to make a better world. The laws, the inventions, the different works of art are just too few to cite as proofs of previous works of Sociology via social analysis. As long as man is alive, there will always be a need for others whether as a reason or object for living or be part for coexistence in community. However, there is a difference between theory and practice. Things need implementation. Knowledge or Science necessitates application to have their benefits. Perhaps this observation is not only limited in sociology. All branches of knowledge find their expression on how humanity benefited from their applications. Bibliography: 1. Cree, V. (2000), Sociology for Social Workers and Probation Officers, Routledge, London, U.K. 2. Dehli, K. (2004), Introduction to Sociological Theory in Education, {www document} URL http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/depts/sese/1904kd.htm , May 13, 2006 3. Du Bois, W & Wright, R. (2001) Applying Sociology: Making a Better World. Boston, Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. 4. Dunlop, J. & Irwin, R. (1949), Collective Bargaining: Principles and Cases 5. Globalideasbank, (2006) Applying sociology to make a better world {www document} URL, http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=3241, Accessed May 13, 2006 6. King, M. (1997), A Better World for Children? Explorations in Morality and Authority, Routledge, London, UK 7. Peck, S. (1978), ‘The Road Less Travelled’, Simon and Schuster, New York, USA. 8. Schwerin, E. (1995) Citizen Empowerment, and Transformational Politics, Praeger Publishers 9. Seidman, S. (1994). In Contested knowledge: Social theory in the post-modern era. Oxford, UK; Cambridge, MA: Blackwell. 10. Wright Mills, C. (1959). The promise. In The sociological imagination (pp.3-24). New York: Oxford University Press. . Read More