Problems of Applying Sociological Knowledge to Public Issues - Essay Example

CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE ISSUES/ PROBLEMS OF APPLYING SOCIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE TO PUBLIC ISSUES by 18 May Critically Discuss the Issues/ Problems of Applying Sociological Knowledge to Public Issues Introduction Sociology is one of the most human-oriented disciplines focused on the study of human problems and developing solutions. Sociology is a unique way of viewing human behaviors through the prism of their relationships and not through their individual attributes. Sociology differs greatly from the field of psychology with the latter focused on the study of individuals themselves. It is through this societal orientation that sociology does have the potential to be successfully applied in the public issues domain. Unfortunately, the current state of sociology application in public issues is far from desired. Inherent in the analysis of sociological applications are both external and internal problems that profoundly influence the nature of the sociological discipline and its practical developments. The complexity of social life (internal) and the variety of sociological perspectives (external) are, probably, the most significant barriers to the use of sociology to solve public issues. More problematic, however, is the degree to which sociology is applied in public issues. Present-day sociologists have failed to reach an agreement as to whether or not sociology can be applied to solve the most serious social evils. As a result, before sociologists deal with the issues of social life complexity and the multitude of social perspectives, it is imperative to develop a better picture of sociological applicability in the public issues field. Sociology and public issues: Complexity and perspectives The roots of sociology date back at least 100 years, and throughout its history, sociology has undergone major theoretical and practical shifts. Over the past hundred years or so, sociological theories and perspectives emerged and disappeared, giving place to new perspectives and theoretical meanings. Throughout its history, sociology failed to solve the eternal theory-practice conflict: while some sociologists claimed that the discipline had to remain a pure science, others were convinced that quantitative and qualitative approaches had to be used, to support theoretical sociology with the models and data from social realities (Andersen and Taylor 2007; Bruhn and Rebach 1996; Macionis and Plummer 2008). As a result, sociology continued to evolve along the two distinctive lines – theoretical and practical. The issues of practical sociology application can be traced back to the works of Albion Small (Bruhn and Rebach 1996; Small 1916). As a result, it is possible to assume that the problem of applying sociological knowledge in public issues has always been a matter of real professional concern (Gans 1989). Understanding the social issue and enhancing social life is possible only by solving many of the existing public issues and improving the quality of social interactions (Steele and Price 2007). Therefore, solving public issues without applying to applied sociology is absolutely impossible (Mauss 2005). Many researchers tried to combine sociological scholarship with action, but even now it is difficult to understand how successful they have been in their endeavors (Bruhn and Rebach 1996). Sociological problems, including public issues such as drug abuse, family violence, and political discord, are too complex to be solved at once (Furstenberg 2003). Simultaneously, the development of new sociological perspectives slows down their application for the benefit of societies. Unfortunately, these are minor issues compared to the fact that sociologists generally lack any agreement as to how and to what degree sociological knowledge can be applied in practice. For many years, “practical sociology has been presented as if it were, by its nature, unscientific. Some have also incorrectly treated practical sociology as if it were only an interest of the earliest sociologists, or the students – and an interest that needed to be left behind” (Bruhn and Rebach 1996: 2). All those problems impeded the development of practical sociological solutions to the most serious public issues. At present, sociologists do not even know to what degree sociology can be applied in the public issues domain. The complexity of public issues and social phenomena is claimed to be one of the major barriers to applying sociological knowledge to public issues. The complexity of public issues themselves is also claimed to be a serious problem. However, is complexity a real problem in applying sociological knowledge in public issues? More often than not, the complexity of social phenomena and public issues is not a barrier but, on the contrary, a favor given to applied sociologists in their analysis of the major social evils. Certainly, the inhibiting nature of the social life complexity and its potential implications for the application of sociological knowledge cannot be easily dismissed. Even Emile Durkheim recognized that complexity could produce inhibiting effects on the sociological subject matter (Dasgupta and Driskell 2007). However, and according to Durkheim, the overall complexity of the social phenomena is hardly a permanent and impenetrable barrier to obtaining a better, practical understanding of public issues (Dasgupta and Driskell 2007). The complexity of various social phenomena may result in an inadequate understanding of certain public issues but cannot prevent practical sociologists from developing potentially effective solutions. Therefore, the complexity of the social phenomena is hardly the biggest barrier to applying sociological knowledge in public issues. One of the main external challenges to applying sociological knowledge to public issues is the presence of multiple sociological perspectives. A sociological perspective is an effective tool and incentive for rethinking familiar phenomena and issues from a different point of view. These perspectives operate as paradigms brought by practicing sociologists into the real world (Price, Straus and Breeze 2010). It is no wonder that the growing number of perspectives can make it difficult for sociologists to build a well-defined conceptual picture of public issues. Yet, the presence of multiple perspectives is not a plague but a great benefit given to applied sociologists by the complex reality. “Applied sociology employs sociological perspectives to assist in problem solving, and the applied sociologist is generally a research specialist who produces information that is useful in resolving problems in government, industry, and other practice settings” (Bruhn and Rebach 1996: 2). In other words, multiple perspectives are helpful in the development of a multifaceted view of the complex social reality, which creates a good foundation for the development of relevant solutions to the most acute public issues. Sociology and public issues: Theoretical or applied? More serious is the situation with whether or not sociology can be applied, including in public issues. Contemporary sociologists lack any consensus as for how sociology and public issues are related. Steele and Breese (2010) suggest that all sociology is applied. By contrast, Turner (2005) suggests that it is at least surprising for a field as humanistic as sociology to have such a little role/ application in public debates and important public issue decisions. More often than not, public issues are directly related to the various aspects of social organization and life, and have the potential to reorganize society (Turner 2005). Therefore, it would seem natural and expected for sociology to play one of the major roles in the development of public issue solutions (Turner 2005). Unfortunately, any other discipline would find its voice in public issues, but not sociology. Sociology in general and American sociology, in particular, has very little impacts on public issues and policymaking (Turner 2005). Public sociology remains a highly ambiguous field (Agger 2007; Tittle 2004). As a result, the question is not in what impedes the application of sociology in public issues but in the need to develop the field of public issues sociology as such. As of today, sociology provides vast decision making and problem-solving opportunities. However, apart from the fact that there is no agreement as for how and whether sociology can be applied in public issues, there is little agreement on what public issues are and how they work. Public issues are not merely reflections of objective conditions and problems but, rather projections of collective sentiments about these issues (Hilgartner and Bosk 1988). Thus, to decide whether or not sociological knowledge can be applied to public issues, sociologists should first decide for themselves what exactly they mean by ‘public’ issues and what public issues are not. There are numerous situations in society that can hardly be called ‘public issues’ (Hilgartner and Bosk 1988; Spector and Kitsuse 1973). There are numerous situations that have the potential to transform into public issues but have not been detected so far. Again, not multiple perspectives or the complexity of social phenomena, but the lack of general consensus over the most important aspects of sociology is what impedes the development and progress of applied sociology in the public issues domain. To ensure that sociology can benefit public issues, sociologists should achieve a general agreement regarding its applicability and related aspects. This is the only way to ensure that the humanity has a chance to address its public issues consistently. Conclusion Applying sociological knowledge to public issues is considered one of the biggest problems in sociology. The presence of multiple perspectives, the overall complexity of social life, and other internal and external issues are claimed to impede the applicability of sociological knowledge to public issues. Really, the growing scope of sociological perspectives and the complexity of sociological phenomena may hinder the development of effective sociological frameworks. Yet, more often than not, these aspects benefit the study of sociology and its potential applications. More serious is the fact that sociologists lack any consensus as for whether and how sociology can be applied in public issues. Therefore, sociologists should achieve a general agreement regarding its applicability and related aspects. References Agger, B. (2007) Public sociology: From social facts to literary acts. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. Andersen, M.L. and Taylor, H.F. (2007) Sociology: Understanding a diverse society. Boston: Cengage Learning. Bruhn, J.G. and Rebach, H.M. (1996) Clinical sociology: An agenda for action. London: Springer. Dasgupta, S. and Driskell, R.B. (2007) Discourse on applied psychology: Theoretical perspectives. London: Anthem Press. Furstenberg, F.F. (2003) ‘Teenage childbearing as a public issue and private concern’, Annual Review of Sociology 29: 23-39. Gans, H.J. 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