Assess the relationship between sociology and interpersonal policy (33 marks) Sociology has been associated with the making of sociable policy, sociologist’s role of conducting research on both equally social concerns and sociological problems are bought together for the creation of a cultural policy.
A social problem is a way of cultural behaviour that triggers public and/or private turmoil and demands action to solve it. A sociological issue is ‘any pattern of human relationships that requires an explanation’ (Peter Worsley) this could be something which society ok bye as a interpersonal problem but can also be something that society regards as ‘normality’.
For example , Georg Simmel was interested in revealing the widespread characteristics coming from all social human relationships whether in the family, your office or even within a bus prevent queue. Many sociologists are interested in solving interpersonal problems through their analysis and many have employment with the Government departments.
These sociologists often have immediate input in to the making of policies and evaluating all their effectiveness.
Sociology has had an influence on cultural policy in lots of factors. Electoral popularity can have an impact about whether a sociologists research results and advice point to a specific policy that maybe well-liked or unpopular with arrêters. Also, if a researcher’s perspective is similar to regarding the Government, the researcher may well stand more chance in influencing the policies.
Therefore , having the same ideology and policy preferences of the Authorities would place the researcher in an advantage. Interest groups and pressure teams seek to impact Government policies in favour of their own interests which will creates competition for the sociologist putting forward their policy. Globalisation may effect social plan through international organisations affecting individual Governments. Also, sociologists that are crucial of the state and highly effective groups (e. g Marxists) may be thought to be too intense and therefore improbable to impact policy.
Policy makers might not have the funding to put forwards an appropriate policy based on these people, or, they might have additional spending priorities and responsibilities. Sociologists might tone down their coverage recommendations and the findings to adjust to their pay-masters wishes. Likewise policy creators may sponsor sociologists whom share the same assumptions and political worth. Positivists take those view that sociology is known as a science and would get the cause of social problems then simply conclude the scientific approaches to them.
All their approach was part of the EnlightenmentProject to use science and cause to improve contemporary society. Functionalist require a similar watch and see culture as based upon value opinion and totally free of fundamental clashes. They view the state because serving the interests of society as a whole, producing and implementing cultural policies intended for the good of all. These plans help contemporary society to run effortlessly and effectively. Functionalists favor social policies that are called the ‘piecemeal social engineering’ this is a cautious way that tackles one concern at a time. Marxists criticise this approach and believe social concerns such as below achievement will be aspects of a wider structure of class inequality and therefore we should change the simple structure of society in order to solve the problems.
Both positivists and functionalists see the sociologist’s role about provide the express with objective and medical information. By the sociologist examining social problems and discovering the cause, the state of hawaii can then apply a base for the policies. The social democrats favour an important distribution of wealth and income through the rich to the poor. Philip Townsend, states that they must be involved in exploring social concerns and making policy advice to end the social complications.
For example , Townsend conducted extensive research on poverty. Coming from his results he made tips for policies including fairer, larger benefit amounts and more community spending on wellness, education and welfare solutions. Marxists criticise this look at. They dispute the same interpersonal problems, yet , in their watch; capitalism is definitely ultimately in charge of the inequalities therefore the difficulty cannot be solved unless capitalism is abolished. They also argue that in any actually involving the capitalist state; they are really unlikely to introduce expensive public spending policies to benefit the significant class.
Marxists see culture as divided through conflict with client positions in which the lording it over capitalist school exploit the labour in the working course. The see the state as representing the ruling class and its interpersonal policies serve the pursuits of capitalism, not the ones from society overall. They believe the state provides ideological legitimation to mask the capitalist exploitation, keep up with the labour pressure for further exploitation and they are a means of stopping revolution once class discord intensifies and threatens the stability of capitalism. But , Marxists do recognize that interpersonal policies at times benefit the working class.
Yet , these are threatened with the capitalist tendency to visit intoperiodic problems of profitability leading to reductions in point out spending on welfare. Marxist believe that research uncovering the truth about the social challenges capitalism creates will not be used to create guidelines to solve the problems. The only way to social problems is a revolution to undoing capitalism and create a classless society. As a result they start to see the sociologist’s function should be to criticise capitalist sociable policy, never to serve the capitalist point out. Exploitation should be revealed by sociologist as well as the way how the ruling class use cultural policies to mask this exploitation and get off rise ? mutiny with small concessions. Experts argue that the Marxist view on social insurance plan and the function of the sociologist are not practical and unrealistic.
Social democrats criticise these people for rejecting the idea that sociological research can assist bring about accelerating policies inside the existing capitalist system. Feminists see culture as depending on fundamental discord between sexes. The dispute society is patriarchal and benefits me personally at can certainly expense as well as the state preserve women’s corrélation through the social plans. Feminist studies have already recently had an impact in many policy areas. For example , in education it has influenced guidelines such as learning materials that promote great images of women and tutor training to sensitise educators to the need to avoid gender bias and promote inclusiveness for both sexes.
Major feminists consider men since direct oppressors of women, especially through the relatives where girls are held subordinate by making use of threat of physical and sexual physical violence. They consequently favour separatism, the idea that girls need to distinct themselves via men avoid patriarchy. A specific area of sociable policy that reflects this kind of view is the establishment of girls refuges for women escaping household violence. Feminist sociological studies have had some impact on social policies areas that have an effect on women.
The modern Right think that the state really should have minimal participation in contemporary society. They are against using the point out provision of welfare to handle social problems. State input in areas such as friends and family life, salary support and education robs people with their freedom of own choice and undermines the sense of responsibility; leading to better social challenges.
Charles Murray argues that generous welfare benefits and council casing for lone parents weakens the self-reliance that families have. They encourage the growth of the dependency culture, an underclass of lone moms, undisciplinedchildren, and irresponsible dad who get away from families inside the knowledge that the welfare point out will provide on their behalf. Murray favours a reduction in the state spending on wellbeing. The New Right are highly important of existing policies. That they see the position of the sociologist as being to propose alternative policies to the current ones. These types of policies should aim to regain responsibility of people for their personal and their family members welfare instead of leaving their particular responsibility for the state.
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