Sociology for Social Change Flashcards
How can sociology research make a difference?
Sociology can ‘make a difference’ by understanding the causes of social problems and of social change
A sociological imagination can assist you to ask important questions that ‘cut through’ clichés and generalities
Recognising the policy implications of research findings
What did Burawoy say about public sociology?
HE says there’s elite or traditional sociology which are general books and newspaper columns. Whereas grass roots public sociology which engages more public e.g. neighbourhoods people with an agenda
“Today the world is lagging behind sociology, unapologetic about its drift into political and economic fundamentalism. Sociologists shift their critical eye ever more away from sociology toward the world it describes, a shift reflected in the insurgent interest in public sociology” (Burawoy 2004: 1604).
What does it mean to put sociology to work?
Public sociology aims to enrich public debate about moral and political issues by infusing them with sociological theory and research
Assumes that sociological knowledge should be put to public use, whether in the form of policy interventions, teaching, engaging with the media, participatory research with grassroots/civic actors, advocacy etc.
Shift from emphasis on pure science, to acknowledgment that sociologists are civic actors, and so, have a right and an obligation to participate in politics.
What are the four facets of Burawoy’s public sociology?
Public Sociology
Policy Sociology
Critical Sociology
Professional Sociology
What is grassroots sociology?
Grassroots public sociology that seeks to understand civil society and transnational social movements
What is the real utopias proposed by Olin-Wright
‘Another world is possible’ vs pessimism about capitalism
Sociology can provide ‘empirical theoretical grounding for radical democratic egalitarian visions of an alternative social world’
Provides a vision and methodology Explores empirical (i.e. real, existing) examples of alternative social structuring Builds theories of transformation
What are the three facets of theorising transformation?
Diagnosis and critique -Tells us why we want to leave the world in which we live
Theory of alternatives - Tells us where we want to go
Theory of transformation - Tells us how to get from here to there
What are some examples of ‘real utopias’
Participatory city budgeting Wikipedia Mondragon worker-owned cooperatives Unconditional basic income Women’s self-help groups Grassroots producer cooperatives
What is action research
Action research represents a shift from thinking of research as a linear process, to research as a collaborative, creative process that redefines the role of local people from being merely recipients and beneficiaries to actors who influence the process.
E.g. Participatory research in the study of poverty invites those living in poverty to participate in an analysis of their own livelihood situation.
What are some action participatory methods?
Mapping
Role play
Wheel diagrams
Transect walk
What is empowerment?
Increasingly acknowledged that social science research could/should contribute to empowerment
Knowledge = power
Achieved through meaningful participation of broad stakeholders – but especially those most vulnerable - in the research process
But, meanings and experiences of empowerment vary (buzzword, beneficiaries, active participation?)
The process by which the powerless gain greater control over the circumstances of their lives. It includes both control over resources (physical, human, intellectual, financial) and over ideology (beliefs, values, and attitudes).
(Sen and Batliwala 2000: 18)
How is sociology seen in the world around us?
Government Business Academia International organisations NGOs Many fields of application
Social data (census) Healthcare research Environmental protection Indigenous affairs Social work Finance and business Technology studies/development Media and communication
How is sociology useful in enterprise?
Sociology is one of the key disciplines in social science - one of the fastest growing areas of knowledge
Helps develop analytical skills highly desired by employers
Focuses upon some of the basic questions of life: why and how humans interact, and the outcomes of those interactions
Deals critically with important questions of our time: globalisation, food security, climate change, in/equality, poverty, post-industrialisation, urbanisation, technology, governance, ageing, families, education, race/ethnicity, immigration, welfare reform, economic crisis, social/environmental justice
Is intellectually challenging and personally rewarding
