The debate about violence and indecency in pop culture within and outside of the scholarly community has been raging for several decades. On the one hand, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued notes directly linking media violence to aggression (Ferguson and Beresin 70). On the other hand, research on the matter is inconclusive showing that the correlation between violence and aggression varies from null to weak (Ferguson and Beresin 70). The situation with indecency is also hard to evaluate since it is unclear where freedom of speech ends and impropriety starts.
To make the situation clear, it is vital to examine violence and indecency separately. There is no scientific evidence that the representation of violence is pushing boundaries (Ferguson and Beresin 75). Even though exposure to cruelty and brutality is growing due to the increased number of media sources, it neither seems to affect the psychological health of the population nor does it reinforce new societal ideas of what is appropriate.
However, caution in the matter is suggested since the younger population is prone to the “copycat phenomenon.” Therefore, violence in the media is to be controlled, as the copycat effect is greater “when there is extensive media coverage and detailed descriptions and if the event is glamorized or sensationalized” (Ferguson and Beresin 72). Additionally, research methods in the matter are open to criticism.
The situation differs from indecency in the media since the research on the phenomenon is scarce. While there is no specific information on the matter, the older generation strongly believes that vulgarity of the pop culture is pushing boundaries. This may be explained by moral panic theory, which claims that such an opinion has no rational basis behind it. However, the copycat effect may come in place, and the moral standards of the younger generation may lower due to the indecency exposed by pop culture.
Work Cited
Ferguson, Christopher, and Eugene Beresin. “Social Science’s Curious War with Pop Culture and How It Was Lost: The Media Violence Debate and the Risks It Holds for Social Science.” Preventive Medicine, vol. 99, 2017, pp. 69-76.
It is worth noting that relativism, as well as the belief opposed to it, refers to the theoretical interpretation of practical principles (Black, 2013). Despite the difficulties associated with the conceptual approach to values, the philosophical categories established by human experience show that values are true qualities since they become consequential attributes by their essential content. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the relation between objectivity and values in their application to social science research.
Discussion
The main question discussed in this work centers on the query of whether values undermine the objectivity of research. Importantly, Bigge (1971) stressed that values were contextually specific. That is to say, they are usually defined by the culture of an individual; therefore, they cannot be considered universal. Nonetheless, the author argued that this notion could be verified through community-based action. Bigge (1971) made an attempt to outline a pragmatic view of the researcher’s values. In general, they should be perceived as concrete experiences of individuals. Research occurs within society; therefore, experiential learning of the general community should not be disregarded during interpretation. However, while carrying out research, the investigator should aim at making the existing sense of values more objective and deep.
Trifonas (1995) made other significant remarks exhibiting the reliability of values in research. He noted that qualitative research modes had been strongly criticized. Nonetheless, they have proved to be effective and flexible in studying socio-cultural contexts. Other investigators have mentioned that qualitative researchers do not agree with a variety of questions while sharing a mutual understanding regarding the way of decomposing the narrative data (Stefanidou & Skordoulis, 2014). This assumption is linked to the fact that new methods of data analysis continuously evolve. Trifonas (1995) explained this issue by stating that qualitative methods had “shown the promise of effectivity in fulfilling the need for initiating more subtle and responsive ways through which to explore contemporary socio-cultural context” (p. 97). In that matter, values serve as operations, which help to clarify the data in social science research.
Apart from that, when reflecting on the issue of objectivity of values, it is crucial to discuss the ways that help to make a study balanced. It has been mentioned that values can be biased due to their nature (they are defined by culture and context). Objectivity can be achieved through the methods suggested by Eisner (1992). He suggested that the investigator should strive to avoid any form of bias, focusing on the universal approach towards data. In addition, it is necessary to place a greater emphasis on the world in which individuals perform to ensure honesty and that all the aspects of the dispute have been considered. Moreover, Eisner (1992) recommended resorting to objective methods of data analysis and supporting the fair representation of things despite the researcher’s personal worldview. The important statement that can be made based on the current discussion of values is that although researchers might not admit a particular outlook, they will be engaged in designing it.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that values can be considered universal since they are clarified through community-based learning. In its turn, this form of learning inevitably occurs in the course of researching. Despite the fact that values can contain bias due to their nature, the existing body of knowledge suggests multiple ways of achieving objectivity at different stages of the research.
Questions for In-Class Consideration
Based on the reflection and the assumptions made, the three questions for in-class consideration are as follows:
What values can the researcher bring to his or her study?
To what extent can values intrude with the objectivity of research?
What can data analysis methods be considered helpful in making a study balanced?
References
Bigge, M. (1971). Positive relativism: An emergent educational philosophy. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
Black, D. (2013). On the almost inconceivable misunderstandings concerning the subject of value-free social science. British Journal of Sociology, 64(4), 763-780.
Eisner, E. (1992). Objectivity in educational research. Curriculum Inquiry, 22(1), 9-15.
Stefanidou, C., & Skordoulis, C. (2014) Subjectivity and objectivity in science: An educational approach. Advances in Historical Studies, 3(4), 183-193.
Trifonas, P. (1995). Objectivity, subjectivity and relativism: The case for qualitative methodologies in educational research. Journal of Educational Thought, 29(1), 81-101.
Sociology is a social science that studies human beings in their social setting including their descent, institutions, systems, organisations and their influence on societal development.
It is concerned with understanding the structure and functioning of human society, how it changes over time and the forces that account for the changes. Sociologists thus study human beings in relation to the society and how human conduct, shapes the society and its structures and vice versa.
Sociological imagination
Sociological imagination is a critical field of criminology concerned with the relationship that exists between the beliefs of the society and the life as experienced in the society. It is the critical examination of issues against the contemporary views of the society. Individuals engaged in sociological imagination, find it pleasant to ask questions in order to get answers to what they observe.
They do not rely entirely on what the society holds as true or false rather, they question the basis of its truthfulness or falsehood. Therefore, sociological imagination is concerned with the causes and outcomes of the interaction between various components of the society such as norms, motives and current occurrences in the society.
Proponents of sociological thinking do not agree with the facts that are passed on in the society from one generation to another without testing the truth of these facts.
Social and personal problems/issues
Personal problems concern individuals and most often have no effect on the society as a whole. Social problems on the other hand, are issues affecting several people in a social setting.
The difference between the two kinds of problems is that, a personal problem affects an individual’s living style and one is supposed to deal with it for instance, incidences of obesity and unemployment among others. The social problem is one which cannot be avoided by the larger group since, all or most of the individuals are affected by it.
However, the two forms of problems originate from the same bases most of the time. Both social and personal issues might originate from both the social setting and individual mistakes. For instance, lack of employment may be caused by lack of supportive institutions such as schools in the society or alternatively, an individual’s failure to capitalize on opportunities in the society. Some of the problems are very difficult to classify such as abortion.
Structural Functionalism Theory of sociology
Structural functionalism is the sociological theory which holds that the society is a system made up of very many components or parts which interact to foster stability. Each of these parts, has its important function that cannot be ignored since, it contributes to the successful operation of the society as a system.
The major components of the societal system are; customs, traditions, norms, institutions and belief systems. These are social processes and structures which define the society by giving it form and distinctiveness.
How can we define or identify what power is? Is it something visible or invisible? Or can power be something like a force that makes things move and or stop from being in motion? Sometimes we think of it in many different ways and due to some people do associate power as the authority that we have over others, while others believe that is a measure of material possessions the people have.
However, it may be hard to exactly define the term power under one subject to represent a universal definition of all other subjects. So, what is very crucial in searching for the definition of power as well as seeking an in-depth understanding is to look up for detailed work on the topic of power from diverse subjects including social science, politics and political science, and even engineering subjects. It should therefore be noted that the meaning of the term power cannot be confined to a particular area or subject.
Furthermore, there should be no confusion of its users under the different fields of subjects in which its multiple meaning would sometimes appear to coincide in two or subject fields, while it may greatly differ in several other fields.
In the field of social science, power is broadly dealt with or seen under many sub-units. Some of us would look up for the term power in the point of personal attributes, which are more often referred to as characteristics.
Due to the unique personal characters that we all have, another group of individuals would think of it in different ways and search for an understanding of power under the individual’s methodologies of implementing strategies for a specific task and the ability to convert the available resources into final products or services. The last cohort of the people from our community/society may also take another approach, whereby it may focus on establishing the meaning and understanding of power by looking at it through the organization of the community/society on the basis of structural society’s relationship.
Even though social scientists seem to consent to one single idea of the meaning of power, social constructionists appear to differ compared to the other fellow sociologists. Deep studies on the constructionist view of power show to some extent that they shallowly addressed the power influence, and thus the theoretical work may not be adequate to resolve some of the hidden puzzling questions of the readers. In this connection, it may be assumed that constructionism partially addresses and accounts for the impacts or rather the influence of power on the society. While it is worth noting that constructionists mention several things related to the power, their work on some major factors or element of power such as the subject of materialism embodiment is partially handled.
Graphics and social illustrations. It is important to note and understand that power could be having an intimate relationship with embodiment. This was shown by Foucault and other sociologists who carried out experiment to provide some kind of evidence of the body response toward power. For many reasons, it might be hard for us to save one’s powers from such things like materials, personal character/ behavior, which in turn builds what is termed as personal behavior.
What is within, perhaps, makes what we call a person. But it should be considered that all that is within somebody may not be known. In most cases, the power within someone would make that what he/she wants to be. However, people are described not in one distinct way in their life because there is always the power to change or room of change. We therefore use language to describe ourselves depending on the circumstances in which we are found under certain time.
The words that we use differ widely to express what we are either in the basis of gender, race, ethnicity or even during explanation of our health conditions. The issues raised above were among some of matter of deep concern of constructionists Foucault for which he appeared to support the idea that power is a major factor in the driving out of discourse. On the side of Gergen, power may be a key in expressing and giving commands as it acts a warranting voice.
The examination of critical issues from the sociological perspective is an important task for reflecting on the significance of people’s response to events. Therefore, numerous organizations publish data concerning social behavior in various human groups, which is the basis of this area of knowledge (Shaefer 3). One of the sources, which contains comprehensive information regarding these initiatives, is the website of the Campaign for Social Sciences, and it is invaluable for conducting research in this respect.
The Campaign is intended for scholars and any interested persons. Its main purpose is to educate people on the role of sociology in the decision-making process, which has an impact on everyone (“Campaign for Social Science: Home”). In order to do this, the founders of this online platform alongside representatives of educational facilities share their views on current news (“Campaign for Social Science: Home”). For example, the beginning of the pandemic is considered to be one of the major themes studied by them, and the results of their initiatives are available in a separate section (“Campaign for Social Science: Home”). Meanwhile, contributors are also involved in the preparation of regular reports and the promotion of social sciences in general (“Campaign for Social Science: Home”). Therefore, it can be concluded that this website is a comprehensive source of information on the subject.
To summarize, the data from the Campaign for Social Sciences increases the awareness of representatives of different social groups about essential processes. In this way, people become more active in expressing their opinions and predicting the outcomes of different occasions for everyone’s wellbeing. This website correlates with the critical tasks of sociology as a field and, consequently, efficiently underpins the efforts of scholars in practice.
Works Cited
Campaign for Social Science: Home. Campaign for Social Sciences, 2021. Web.
The Namesake is a 2006 movie based on author Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel of the same name. It documents the social changes and upheavals experienced by an Indian-American migrant family to the States and the varied conflicts they experience in their adopted country due to unique values, norms, and behavioral patterns that they brought from India. The story also depicts the failed assimilation of their grown-up son and daughter into American culture and the underpinning psychological stresses they face (Lahiri, 2004, p.178).
The movie offers a bold insight into the isolation-like situations faced by culturally and ethnically diverse migrants and portrays successful ways in which they can be embraced by host cultures through social interaction techniques (Greene, Cohen, Gonzalez & Lee, 2009, p.49). The theme of the movie adds strength to the theory that optimal human development of individuals hinges on a core foundation of families and communities (Greene et al, p.56). Any lack of respect for one’s own culture would hamper the overall personality development of such individuals and lead to identity crises and more (Greene et al, p.70). The following target areas have been identified to answer relevant questions that arise from watching the movie.
Ethical Principles
The main ethical principles in any social worker’s study are assessed according to the core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence (NASW code, 2010). In this context, the client system has been identified as the chief protagonists Ashoke and Ashima Ganguly; their son, Gogol, and daughter Sonia. Even though there weren’t any ethical conflicts depicted in the family, a few possibilities could have emerged due to the unique cultural backgrounds (Indian) of the clients. Ashima (the wife) is shown very loyal and obedient to her husband Ashoke, as is typical among certain South Asian families where women agree to a somewhat subordinate role to their husbands. Back home in India, she agrees to an arranged marriage with a stranger and throughout the film, refuses to address Ashoke by his first name, instead of denoting him by a more respectful address, peculiar to Indian culture.
Had Ashoke turned out to be the exact opposite of the loving and caring husband shown in the movie, a clear problem would emerge because Ashima, the very traditional Indian wife, was duty-bound to side along with her husband no matter how she got treated in return. This would be in fundamental conflict with Western (American) cultural norms where spouse abuse does not go unnoticed and is not tolerated under any circumstances.
Other possible problems in this close-knit family would also emerge had Ashoke been an atypically, strict Indian father. It is shown in the movie that this was not the case. This is because Ashoke, in typical Western fashion, gives his children plenty of growth space and does not interfere much with their upbringing. For instance, when Gogol decided to do away with his name for something more appealing to Americans (Nikhil), Ashoke didn’t raise any objections. This is quite the opposite of what happens in many ethnic families where parents tend to exercise their control over grown-up children (Green et al, p.91).
To deal with the above set of problems, a social worker must use the practice behavior of working towards promoting the client’s socially responsible self-determination while enhancing their capacity and opportunity to change and address their own needs (NASW code, 2010). For this, they have to be competent enough to understand the sensitive nature of oppression and social injustices faced by their clients, before offering to solve the problem (NASW code, 2010).
Diversity and Difference
The movie depicts a kaleidoscope of diversity differences, and how they may pose to be a stumbling block in promoting the welfare of the client; one notable client is Gogol. Growing into the hybrid Indian-American culture surrounding him, his American friends and associates have a lot of problems grasping the finer nuances of Indian culture and ethos which he cannot divorce from his identity, no matter how much he tries to assimilate into American culture. In the initial scenes, he’s shown paying a visit to India with his family where he discovers a newfound love for his motherland. This love seems to grow with him throughout the pace of the movie.
In this context, a major problem is depicted. Gogol’s first girlfriend Maxine, a White Anglo-Saxon woman despite her liberal credentials, is shown failing to understand or respect his Indian values. For instance, when she visits Gogol at the time of his father’s funeral, she belittles the significance of a parent dying in traditional Hindu culture and berates Gogol for “ignoring her” for so many days. To Gogol’s Indian origin identity, this was a fundamental assault. He soon realizes that Maxine, being a Westerner, lacks the sensitivity and empathy required to deal with an Indian family. This becomes the reason for their break-up.
For a social worker, problems related to diversity differences, as shown above, can be solved by recognizing the central importance of human relationships (NASW code, 2010). They should have enough competence to engage people as partners in the helping process and strengthen relationships among people by understanding their unique cultural values and using that knowledge to enhance their well-being (NASW code, 2010).
Human Rights and Social-Economic Justice
Human rights and social-economic justice cannot be one of the key elements in the Namesake since it deals with the subject of problems faced by newly arrived, well-educated immigrants in the States, that too in liberal New York City. NYC is shown as having far greater tolerance and acceptance for ethnic minorities, and their way of life. However in an imaginary scenario, since, the events depicted in the movie are traced from around 1968, the question that arises is had the client’s family to a semi-urban Mid-West town or somewhere in the conservative Southern Bible belt of the late 1960s, would they face a similar reception? Would they be able to remain more comfortable in their skin? What about the real possibility of prejudice and discrimination in all walks of life?
In such an instance, the social worker must use their competence to understand the challenges of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice faced by their clients and strive to ensure such clients get meaningful access to information, services, and resources to create equality of opportunity with adequate sensitivity of oppression (NASW, 2010).
Research and Practice
For research and practice purposes, it may be assumed that the clients (Ganguly family) could have sought direct assistance from aid workers about any of the above problems. In such a case, social workers would do good by increasing their competence in the following areas:
Promoting and evaluating policies contributing to their growth of knowledge about problems faced by social-ethnic minorities (NASW, 2010).
Ensuring the anonymity of participants and never disclosing their identity (NASW, 2010).
Social workers should educate themselves, their students, and their colleagues about responsible research practices (NASW, 2010).
References
Lahiri, J., 2004, The Namesake, Houghton Miffin Harcourt, 187.
Greene, R.R., Cohen, H.L., Gonzalez, J., and Lee, Y., 2009, Narratives of Social and Economic Justice, NASW Press, 49, 56, 70, 91
Social sciences are usually juxtaposed and compared with natural sciences in their practical applicability, and the former almost certainly lose as a result of such contrasting. Indeed, findings in physics, biology, and chemistry, for instance, find implications in the ‘real world’ much faster and seemingly more often. However, it can be argued that social sciences also have significant practical value and impact on society’s development.
Social Sciences’ Impact on Society’s Development
In the beginning, it is necessary to discuss the reasons why social sciences are sometimes viewed as impractical. Firstly, such an attitude can be explained due to methodological restrictions. Indeed, unlike natural sciences, where all the phenomena and problems can be measured mathematically, social studies deal with people’s behaviors and attitudes and philosophical problems that often cannot be easily presented with numbers. As a result, while the findings in the former sphere can be replicated several times, social scientists usually fail to receive similar results (Amrhein et al., 2019). Such a situation, in turn, leads to long-lasting arguments and discussions that may seem to be useless conversations, especially to non-professionals. Additionally, while natural sciences deal with the observable world, social sciences often examine abstract categories. As such, it is harder to find a practical implication for the latter knowledge, but it does not imply its lack of value.
Finally, the claim that social sciences do not have a practical value is simply wrong as it does not consider numerous findings in this sphere. For instance, psychologists develop theories that intend to understand the nature of human beings and, based on the elaborate practical methods that help maintain an individual’s mental well-being. On the other hand, sociologists examine people’s behavior in groups and societies’ cultural prejudices, which allow understanding, predicting, and influencing the masses in various situations. Moreover, enlightenment philosophers developed the methods that promoted the principles of a rational approach to research and to life in general. In other words, without philosophy, there would not be natural sciences as people know them today.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to mention that the examples discussed above represent only a small percentage of the practical knowledge that appeared due to the existence of social sciences. There are many more research findings and discussions that have been tremendously influencing the way people live and operate in this world. Yet, because of certain factors mentioned earlier, sciences are sometimes wrongly viewed as ‘just a bunch of conversations’.
Reference
Amrhein, V., Trafimow, D., & Greenland, S. (2019). Inferential statistics as descriptive statistics: There is no replication crisis if we don’t expect replication. The American Statistician, 73(1), 262-270.
Social sciences offer a critical opportunity to examine specific issues from a variety of points of view, while keeping the focus on the target population. Therefore, when addressing economic, social, political, and other issues emerging in the urban setting, one should consider applying the core tenets of different social sciences in order to understand the nature of observed problems and locate strategies for solving them. To manage the concerns of the town of Nowhereboro in the scenario under analysis, one must investigate its socioeconomic and sociopolitical concerns from the standpoint of the disciplines of sociology, geography, political science, economics, and psychology as the means of understanding key barriers to the citizens’ well-being.
First, I would consider the integration of sociology as the primary framework with the help of which the situation in Nowhereboro will be analyzed. The specified perspective will shed light on the core interpersonal issues and injustice that may have hampered progress in the specified area. Additionally, the sociological standpoint will help identify the core causes of the possible conflict within the community. Namely, the nature of the confrontation, such as the gap between classes, will be isolated and used to inform the further strategy.
Afterward, I will consider economics and the related theories in order to understand the current needs of citizens. Specifically, trade-related interactions and the associated processes will shed light on an array of issues. Particularly, the range of services that the community members can enjoy will be identified. Additionally, I will determine the range of citizens’ needs that the present economic system meets.
Likewise, I will apply psychology to the analysis of the challenges and core issues within the community is also necessary. Namely, with the increase in exposure to global relations and the associated problems, the issue of addressing personal fears and concerns becomes particularly important in the urban setting, especially for communities as small as that one of Nowhereboro. In turn, fears and prejudices often represents some unmanageable obstacles with which most people from diverse backgrounds have to struggle immensely (Spindel 71). As a result, a range of opportunities and vital resources become unavailable for the target population, including not only academic and career-related options, but also basic services such as healthcare (Spindel 87). For this reason, integrating psychology into the assessment of the core issues within the specified community is vital.
Understandably enough, political science will also have to be deployed in order to identify key problems associated with individual rights within the target setting. Specifically, the extent to which citizens of Nowhereboro are represented by their elected officials, as well as the rate at which policies set by the governing bodies help resolve issues faced by community members will be evaluated with the help of political science. The outcomes of the specified assessment will inform further changes to the city policies and the associated regulations so that the needs of vulnerable groups within the city could be protected and met accordingly.
Finally, I will utilize geography-related knowledge into the analysis in order to define the nature of physical and infrastructure-related constraints and locate the changes observed within the community. Furthermore, geography will allow defining the dynamics within the town’s economic system due to the analysis of the infrastructure, thus, informing the choice of an appropriate strategy for addressing people’s needs. Thus, the application of the geographic perspective will also be essential in removing the obstacles.
By considering the issues observed in Nowhereboro from the positions of sociology, geography, political science, economics, and psychology, one will locate the full gamut of factors causing key concerns in the target environment. Specifically, the proposed disciplines will allow locating the main factors impeding citizens from receiving proper education, communicating their needs to the town representatives, and engaging in the economic and political life of the town. Thus, solutions involving the use of innovative techniques and tools, particularly, involvement of citizens with the help of IT and ICT tools will be designed.
Work Cited
Spindel, Patricia. Changing Communities: A Guide for Social and Community Activists. 2nd ed., Canadian Scholars’ Press, 2021.
Being homeless implies a lack of secure, safe, and appropriate housing and the means and capacity to have it. International agencies, governments, scholars, and civil society organizations have all adopted varying definitions of homelessness based on the language used, socioeconomic situations, cultural norms observed, the people impacted, and the reason for which homelessness is designated. Even in states with enough means to address it, homelessness has evolved as a worldwide human rights violation. It has, nevertheless, been largely shielded from human rights responsibility and rarely addressed as a violation of human rights needing affirmative action by states to avoid and abolish it. Being homeless significantly impacts the health of people affected, compromising their right to the best possible health. Each year, homelessness results in several thousands of premature and avoidable deaths, showing a failure of governments to defend the right to life effectively. Homeless individuals face difficult circumstances, such as physical and psychiatric problems or drug abuse, which resolves homelessness as an intricate policy issue.
Selection of the target article for this study by Smith and Anderson (2018), involved searching from different online databases such as America History & Life, Applied Social Science Index & Abstracts, Social Science Citation Index, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Historical Abstracts, and Social Science Abstracts. The search also entailed selection from journals such as American Sociological Review, Contemporary Ethnography, Social Science Quarterly, American Journal of Sociology, and Canadian Journal of Sociology. In the choice of the target article, I used various terms in search of credible periodicals from the databases. Examples of the search terms applied include housing, poverty and homelessness, homelessness, and homeless people. I used my judgment to limit the list of sources to the three most reliable peer-reviewed journals from a pool of over 200 sources.
Social service professionals frequently begin their professions with a desire to improve the lives of disadvantaged persons and communities. Social service employees in outreach programs who serve homeless people embody the idea of Michael Lipsky regarding street-level regulators who have significant voluntary authority in the execution of their duties. Outreach workers develop ‘fitting tales’ about their homeless clients in order to qualify them for housing within the social welfare settings that provide housing assistance. The researchers examine outreach workers’ efforts to create and negotiate appropriate narratives with two distinct audiences: institutional intermediaries and homeless clients. While the proclamation of fitting tales undoubtedly assists some homeless persons to the detriment of rigorous bureaucratic purity, it ultimately benefits homeless care providers. Homeless care providers typically receive funding through programs requiring documentation of services provided to homeless people and families. Therefore, agencies must recruit and process an adequate number of homeless clients to vindicate ongoing or expanded financing (Smith & Anderson, 2018). If the number of reported cases satisfying funding criteria becomes insufficient, financing is likely to be jeopardized.
For some reason, it might be difficult to convince clients to fit into pre-defined service-worthy categories. Occasionally, homeless clients place a higher premium on other requirements (such as the ability to spend evenings with a loved partner) than on the services offered by outreach workers. Additionally, they may be hesitant to portray themselves as victimized or weak, particularly if a mental disorder diagnosis or other stigmatized identification is involved. Outreach professionals overcome hurdles to housing eligibility by creatively manipulating clients’ biographical accounts and supporting evidence in approaches that match clients to organizational requirements for housing assistance. In practice, outreach personnel may err on the side of dispatching the existing laws to satisfy the constitution’s resilience in service of their customers and organization provision standards (Smith & Anderson, 2018). Without the power to alter formal social policies, they continue to work vigorously inside the system to expand service eligibility outside official boundaries while avoiding overtly opposing those policies.
The current primary research strategy is ongoing ethnographic fieldwork with outreach workers supporting the homeless in a major metropolitan area in the western US, where homelessness is viewed as a serious social problem by local government and the public. Ethnography examines cultural developments from the subject’s perspective. Additionally, it entails studying the respondents’ conduct in a specific social scenario and comprehending the teammate’s interpretations of such behavior (Herring, 2019). As a method of investigation, ethnography is deeply reliant on subject observation, with the researcher being present in the context or with the study respondents, albeit in a trivial role, and making efforts to document practices of social dealings and participant perspectives exhaustively, as well as to contextualize these in their confined backgrounds. This research involves observing outreach workers at three levels: directly with clients, with colleagues and superiors at their organizations (and other departments with which they interact), and with ‘extracurricular activities’ such as support and help for the homeless and advocacy outside of their work roles.
The ethnographic study can assist a group of people in illuminating lesser-known parts of their existence for members of the general public. This ethnographic research entails interacting with the group being investigated to educate the outside world about their culture (Smith & Anderson, 2018). Field notes from direct observation of outreach workers’ communications with the homeless and organization coworkers were used to compile the data for this study, as were interviews with outreach workers and directors of agencies offering assistance to the city’s homeless population. The first author spent 173 hours in the field collecting observational and interview data from 45 social service workers as they interacted with 69 homeless clients and 11 other agency staff (not including participation at large personnel conferences) and engaged in a variety of activities aimed at evaluating individuals and facilitating what they perceive to be a successful outcome. Twenty-six females and nineteen males, aged 22 to 68, were observed and contacted in this study.
The ethnographers in this article examine human societies and cultures by residing among homeless people, a practice known as participant observation. The ethnographers take an active role in the research process by observing, taking thorough notes, continuously analyzing the data, and organizing the findings. Ethnographies are particularly adapted to studying complicated cultural and societal connections, unpredictable events, and associations that are too complicated and difficult to investigate quantitatively, such as through surveys and quantitative analysis of data (Smith & Anderson, 2018). Ethnographers are willing to delve into the diversity of group experiences while remaining sensitive to the target group’s individuality. Due to the ethnographer’s meticulously structured and thorough notes during interviews, participant observation, and other information collecting techniques, ethnography is a highly effective method for revealing the numerous facets of group interactions in context.
Survey research is an alternative method of investigation that might have been employed to explore a similar subject of homelessness that is addressed in the chosen article. Survey research is an integral part of measuring and applying social science research. It is a vast field involving various processes that entail asking questions to specific respondents. Surveys are a convenient approach to acquiring information on a certain subject. One can target them to specific demography or manage them in a variety of ways (Herring, 2019). It is entirely up to the researcher to select which questions are asked and how they are posed. The researcher can collect data in real-time circumstances using multiple-choice questions, polls, quizzes, questionnaires, and open-ended questions.
Compared to other types of study, such as ethnography, surveys have fewer time constraints. However, survey research has a slew of drawbacks. Numerous factors might impair the dependability of survey results. For instance, respondents may not feel compelled to submit accurate, truthful responses. This is because they may be uncomfortable offering responses that present themselves negatively. Some respondents may be unaware of their motives for responding to a particular question due to a lack of recollection of the issue or simply boredom (Rosen et al., 2021). In other circumstances, data inaccuracies may occur as a result of question non-responses. The proportion of respondents who reply to a survey question may differ from those who do not respond, resulting in bias. The response alternatives to survey questions may result in ambiguous results, as respondents may perceive some reaction options differently. For instance, the response option ‘somewhat agree’ may signify something different to diverse subjects and have a unique meaning for each reply. Additionally, the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response alternatives can be troublesome. If the option ‘just once’ is not presented, respondents may respond ‘no.’
Ethnography might be preferable to survey research when examining the topic of homelessness. In contrast to survey research, ethnography can aid in the investigation of extremely complex or important design difficulties. A good researcher is critical when seeing or interacting with the intended audience in their natural surroundings. Another advantage of ethnographic research over survey research is that ethnography can assist in identifying and analyzing previously unidentified difficulties. When doing surveys and other sorts of research that are not based on in-person observation or contact, it is all too easy to overlook unanticipated concerns (Smith & Anderson, 2018). This can occur when no questions are asked or when respondents omit to mention something. The in-situ presence of an ethnographic researcher helps limit this danger because the researcher will (ideally) become aware of the concerns. The other primary advantage of ethnography is widely thought to be its capacity to provide a detailed and accurate portrayal of people’s behaviors and attitudes. Due to the subjective nature of ethnographic research can be extremely beneficial for eliciting and assessing significant user attitudes and feelings.
Not only does homelessness demonstrate a state’s inability to ensure universal access to secure, cheap, and appropriate housing, but it also breaches a variety of other fundamental rights. Providers of homeless care are funded through programs that demand proof of services delivered to homeless individuals and families. As a result, services must recruit and process an acceptable number of homeless clients to justify continued or increased funding. Financing is likely to be compromised if the number of reported instances meeting funding criteria becomes insufficient. When addressing the issue of homelessness, ethnography may be preferable to survey research. Ethnography can assist in resolving exceedingly complicated or significant design issues. Additionally, ethnographic research has a benefit over survey research in that it can aid in detecting and evaluating previously unidentified challenges.
The question of free will has been central to philosophy for thousands of years, and yet, the clash between free will and determinism has not been resolved to this day. The idea of free will permeates many cultures and underpins their very foundations. Concurrently, socioeconomic, political, and psychological realities often challenge the illusion of human omnipotence and bring forth the often defining role of circumstances.
In social sciences, the debate is known as agency vs. stratification where agency denotes the human capacity to make decisions unimpeded, while structure refers to patterned arrangements that contain and limit the said agency. Their complicated relationship is reflected in Cottom’s quote: “We are people with free will, circumscribed to different degrees by histories that shape who we are allowed to become.” This paper reflects on the tension between agency and stratification.
The Tension Between Agency and Stratification
The ideas of agency, stratification, and their interactions are at the very heart of the sociological theory. In essence, they echo the fundamental questions concerning the origins of the social world and the determinants of human behavior. On the one hand, a group of thinkers and sociologists argue in favor of stratification’s predominant role. For instance, Marxism reasoned that any human society is defined by a class struggle in which the dominant class oppresses and exploits the proletariat. In this case, the whole is greater than its part, and a person’s life and its quality are largely contingent on their belongingness to a certain class.
Today, there is scientific evidence substantiating this claim: for example, it has been established that poverty implies long-term stress, which, in turn, suppresses cognitive function (Mani et al., 2013). At the same time, history knows many examples of when people were able to overcome their circumstances and rise above their humble beginning. Hence, there is an opposing school of thought that stresses the human ability to construct and reconstruct their realities. From this perspective, an individual can be more influential than the system, removing the primacy of stratification.
C. Wright Mill’s Theory of the Sociological Imagination
A concept that is useful for understanding the tension between agency and stratification is Wright Mill’s sociological imagination. He wrote that “neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both,” striking a balance between agency and stratification without assigning the leading role to either of them (Wright Mill, 2000). In essence, Wright Mill argued that one can replace the lenses through which they see the world and take a look at their reality from a new angle. What changing one’s perspective may do is debunk the illusion that every person’s struggle is unique and they are pursuing a solitary path.
Many phenomena, such as marriage, education, employment, and others, deal with more than one individual at once. For instance, choosing a life partner may seem like an individual task, but society dictates a relationship timeline and rites of marriage that have been established long before the said individual was even born. It might as well be that every individual action has been taken by others as well and, moreover, a result of interlocking influences and circumstances.
When developing his concept of sociological imagination, Wright Mill does not negate free will. However, like Cottom, he emphasizes the role of the socium and opines that free will is limited to different degrees. Indeed, oftentimes, people are not completely free in what and who they are “allowed to become.” Wright Mill explains that deviant and delinquent behavior often takes root in early childhood experiences. Besides, the environment in which a person is born provides them with blueprints and patterns that they see as the norm. Yet, understanding the origins of deviance cannot serve as an excuse. Blaming circumstances for every action is an essentially defeatist position that should be avoided.
Following Wright Mill’s argument, one can conclude that a person has outright important freedom, which is the freedom to assign meaning to things. While some circumstances, especially those that mattered in the past, may be unchangeable, a person can gain more free will through changing their perspective.
Conclusion and Reflection
It seems like the debate between agency and stratification will never come to a halt with a meaningful resolution. I personally think that instead of assigning primacy to either agency or stratification, it makes sense to develop the third position. In particular, it would be compelling to investigate interactions between free will and limiting circumstances. To think, this approach already underlies some social policies and phenomena, such as affirmative action.
They acknowledge the existence of a system that may treat people unequally and discriminate against some groups of people. At the same time, with a nudge and help, the underprivileged can become empowered enough to carve their own path and overcome the obstacles they did not choose. Therefore, the question should be posed not as “Which is more influential – agency or structure” but as “How do they impact each other?”
References
Mani, A., Mullainathan, S., Shafir, E., & Zhao, J. (2013). Poverty impedes cognitive function. science, 341(6149), 976-980.
Mills, C. W. (2000). The sociological imagination. Oxford University Press.