Sociology and Social Policy

Social problems and the sociological problems  

• A social problem is some piece of social behaviour that causes public or private misery and calls for collective action to solve it 
• A sociological problem is any pattern of relationships that calls for a sociological explanation  
• These two often overlap but a sociological problem can also include behaviour that society doesn’t normally regard as a problem  
• There are many sociologists that are determined and interested in solving social problems through their research. Some are employed by the government departments like the Home Office or the Department of Education 

The influence of sociology on policy  

• Even when sociologists conduct research and experiments to find the conclusion about their topic of interests, the government policy-makers may not act upon the findings.  
• There are may factors that will influence the decision on whether they will use the sociologist’s findings to shape their policies. They include; electoral popularity, how much does the researchers values matches the government’s political ideology and the cost of implementing proposals 

Perspectives on social policy and sociology  

• Functionalism – see society as based on value consensus, so the state serves in the interests of society as a whole. Favour policies that…