Missionary Zeal and the Scholarly Stance: Policy and Commitment in Research on Old Age

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Smith

ABSTRACTThere is a danger that the ‘missionary zeal’ exhibited by some social gerontologists in the interests of those members of society who are older than others, may endanger the subject's ‘scholarly stance’ and the potential contribution to social policy of research on old age. This paper discusses four facets of the matter: (1) the anticipated values underpinning policies of state welfare (2) personal feelings and values in the business of research (3) values and the kind of data we value and (4) the question of whose side we are on. The paper concludes with a theoretical model of the relationship between the social policy process and the social research process as framework for understanding exactly how values about ageing impact both research about ageing and the relationship between that research and relevant social policies.

Author(s):  
Tom Clark ◽  
Liam Foster ◽  
Alan Bryman

This chapter outlines some of the basic features of social research. It introduces students to the notion that social research is a process, helps to clarify the reasons for reearch, and explores the relationship between theory and research. Using the analogy of a voyage, it demonstrates that specific tasks associated with for carrying out social research tend to be ordered, but not always orderly. There are dynamic points of issue that need to be negotiated to move a dissertation project toward completion, or otherwise there is a risk of being blown off course. By understanding what is meant by the research process, and how theory can be used in social research, readers can begin to explore, describe, and explain the human world with greater confidence.


1979 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-334
Author(s):  
Stuart S. Blume

ABSTRACTThe recent debate about the establishment of a ‘British Brookings’ involved a number of fundamental issues which were not brought out. In fact the idea that the British policy-making process should be made more ‘rational’ through the development of what are sometimes called policy studies is not new. It has roots in the Heyworth Report on social studies, which recommended greater use of social research in policy-making, and in the Fulton Report on the civil service, which argued for more policy-planning. These two approaches may now be seen as basically the same, and the problem as one of changing the relationship between social science and (social) policy. However, past analyses of this relationship attribute difficulties to quite different causes and hence yield a variety of prescriptions for reform. It is argued here that the policy studies which are needed must avoid the disciplinary fragmentation of the social sciences as well as that of the current administrative structure, that they must encompass research both for policy and on policy, and that they must seek their own conceptual structure, and in addition that certain organizational requirements follow from this.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-272
Author(s):  
Venelin Terziev ◽  
Preslava Dimitrova

The social policy of a country is a set of specific activities aimed at regulating the social relations between different in their social status subjects. This approach to clarifying social policy is also called functional and essentially addresses social policy as an activity to regulate the relationship of equality or inequality in society. It provides an opportunity to look for inequalities in the economic positions of individuals in relation to ownership, labor and working conditions, distribution of income and consumption, social security and health, to look for the sources of these inequalities and their social justification or undue application.The modern state takes on social functions that seek to regulate imbalances, to protect weak social positions and prevent the disintegration of the social system. It regulates the processes in society by harmonizing interests and opposing marginalization. Every modern country develops social activities that reflect the specifics of a particular society, correspond to its economic, political and cultural status. They are the result of political decisions aimed at directing and regulating the process of adaptation of the national society to the transformations of the market environment. Social policy is at the heart of the development and governance of each country. Despite the fact that too many factors and problems affect it, it largely determines the physical and mental state of the population as well as the relationships and interrelationships between people. On the other hand, social policy allows for a more global study and solving of vital social problems of civil society. On the basis of the programs and actions of political parties and state bodies, the guidelines for the development of society are outlined. Social policy should be seen as an activity to regulate the relationship of equality or inequality between different individuals and social groups in society. Its importance is determined by the possibility of establishing on the basis of the complex approach: the economic positions of the different social groups and individuals, by determining the differences between them in terms of income, consumption, working conditions, health, etc .; to explain the causes of inequality; to look for concrete and specific measures to overcome the emerging social disparities.


Author(s):  
Kathleen Gerson ◽  
Sarah Damaske

Qualitative interviewing is one of the most widely used methods in social research, but it is arguably the least well understood. To address that gap, this book offers a theoretically rigorous, empirically rich, and user-friendly set of strategies for conceiving and conducting interview-based research. Much more than a how-to manual, the book shows why depth interviewing is an indispensable method for discovering and explaining the social world—shedding light on the hidden patterns and dynamics that take place within institutions, social contexts, relationships, and individual experiences. It offers a step-by-step guide through every stage in the research process, from initially formulating a question to developing arguments and presenting the results. To do this, the book shows how to develop a research question, decide on and find an appropriate sample, construct an interview guide, conduct probing and theoretically focused interviews, and systematically analyze the complex material that depth interviews provide—all in the service of finding and presenting important new empirical discoveries and theoretical insights. The book also lays out the ever-present but rarely discussed challenges that interviewers routinely encounter and then presents grounded, thoughtful ways to respond to them. By addressing the most heated debates about the scientific status of qualitative methods, the book demonstrates how depth interviewing makes unique and essential contributions to the research enterprise. With an emphasis on the integral relationship between carefully crafted research and theory building, the book offers a compelling vision for what the “interviewing imagination” can and should be.


2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
RACHAEL DOBSON

AbstractThis article argues that constructions of social phenomena in social policy and welfare scholarship think about the subjects and objects of welfare practice in essentialising ways, with negativistic effects for practitioners working in ‘regulatory’ contexts such as housing and homelessness practice. It builds into debates about power, agency, social policy and welfare by bringing psychosocial and feminist theorisations of relationality to practice research. It claims that relational approaches provide a starting point for the analysis of empirical practice data, by working through the relationship between the individual and the social via an ontological unpicking and revisioning of practitioners' social worlds.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-159
Author(s):  
Józef Młyński

In an ageing society, over-60s’ problems take an important place in the social policy. The State should be prepared for various implications, both positive and negative, of the ageing of the population, and should treat the potential problems of citizens as a challenge and an opportunity for the development of social policy, and within its framework, the policy aimed at the senior citizens. The senior citizens, by all means, constitute an important age group. This type of policy should be focused on both early and late old age people, addressing their different needs and expectations. This article attempts to show the challenges and the role of social policy addressed to the seniors, both at the early and late old age, especially at the local community level. The impact of the article is analysed in the three dimensions described, i.e. a brief outline of the ageing of the population from a demographic perspective, social policy towards seniors at the early and late old age, the challenge the 60 and over pose to the local policy versus their resources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
Mohd Anuar Ramli ◽  
Ahmad Badri Abdullah ◽  
Muhammad Ikhlas Rosele

Islamic jurisprudence is a dynamic system. It is facilitated by some flexible methodologies. Nowadays, there are varieties of issues in Muslims’ societies that are results or implications of developments in science and technology, and also results of changes that happen in the structures of the societies. In order to face these realities, a contemporary integrative approach has to be applied in Islamic Law's research process. In accordance to this, this paper will elaborate the integrative approaches that try to unify and integrate theories in Islamic jurisprudence with social research methods. Basically, there are models that have been introduced by several Islamic thinkers that related to this integrative approach. For example the Islamization of sociology based on maslahah model, the Islamic Jurisprudence sociology model, the unified approach to textual and contextual analysis model. All of these models contain their own strength and weakness in their integrative approaches. This paper is trying to introduce an approach that integrates Islamic jurisprudence theories with the gender analysis method that is among social critics methods. This introduced method is to be used to analyze an issue in fiqh pertaining to polygamy that is always been debated nowadays and also to analyze the applicability of the practice in the social and contemporary conditions of our country. According to this research, social research methods are able to support Islamic jurisprudence in order to improve its research process and its results. Keywords: integrative approach, Islamic jurisprudence, social science, gender analysis, polygamy   Hukum Islam merupakan satu sistem dinamik yang dibangunkan berasaskan metodologi yang bersifat anjal. Pada hari ini, wujudnya pelbagai isu yang melanda masyarakat umat Islam kesan daripada perkembangan sains dan teknologi serta perubahan sosial yang berlaku dalam struktur masyarakat. Dalam usaha untuk berdepan dengan realiti ini, pendekatan integratif yang bersifat kontemporari perlu digunakan dalam proses penyelidikan hukum Islam. Justeru, artikel ini akan menjelaskan pendekatan integratif yang cuba menyatukan dan mengintegrasikan teori hukum Islam dengan kaedah penyelidikan sosial. Pada asasnya, terdapat model yang telah diperkenalkan oleh beberapa pemikir Islam berkaitan dengan pendekatan integratif ini. Sebagai contoh Islamisasi ilmu sosiologi berdasarkan model maslahah, model model sosiologi hukum Islam, model pendekatan bersepadu dalam analisis tekstual dan kontekstual. Semua model ini mengandungi kekuatan dan kelemahan dalam pendekatan integratif yang tersendiri. Lantaran itu, kajian ini cuba memperkenalkan satu pendekatan yang mengintegrasikan teori hukum Islam dengan kaedah analisis gender yang merupakan salah satu metodologi kritik sosial. Kaedah ini diperkenalkan untuk digunakan dalam menganalisis isu fiqh berkaitan poligami yang sentiasa menjadi perbahasan pada masa kini serta melihat kesesuaiannya dalam konteks sosial dan kemodenan negara ini. Kajian mendapati, kaedah penyelidikan sosial dapat menyokong kajian hukum Islam dalam usaha meningkatkan kualiti proses penyelidikan dan hasil dapatannya.   Kata kunci: Pendekatan integratif; hukum Islam; sains sosial; analisis gender; poligami


Author(s):  
Lovita Nurindah Sari

The Social Reintegration Program in Correctional facilities is not only aimed to reduce number of prisoners. But so far social reintegration aims at recovering the relationship, livelihood and life of WBP. WBP who get social reintegration programs such as Asimilasi Rumah, Cuti Bersyarat, Pembebasan Bersyarat, and Cuti Menjelang Bebas get guidance and supervision from the Correctional Center which is the responsibility of the social Advisers in the institution. This study based on qualitative descriptive method with the subject of Bapas Pamekasan clients who were selected by purposive sampling(adjusted to the research problem).The theory in this study is 4 dimensional elements in social research consisting of individual characteristics, (b) family relationships, (c) community context, and (d) state policy. Based on The results of the research, the Social Reintegration of Correctional Clients is a process of guidance and supervision carried out by the Social Adviser which has not been optimally implemented in accordance with the goal of life recovering, livelihood and life of the WBP. Social reintegration should be seen as a process of adjustment to the Correctional Client so that his relationship can be recovered socially and economically. The 4 Dimensions in social Research Balai Pemasyarakatan carried out by PK Bapas must be recreated after he gets Social Reintegration because the 4 dimensions are dynamic. This 4-dimensional approach in society research is the initial base for PKs to carry out guidance and supervision for those built by Social Reintegration. Keywords: Social Reintegration, 4 dimensions of Litmas (Society Research), Client Guidance


2020 ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
Maria Kudryavtseva

The article examines the relationship between the social policy of the state and the Institute of social work. Some foreign and domestic approaches to defi ning the essence of social work as a specifi c type of activity are presented. It is noted that at a specifi c historical stage, the prevailing directions of social work, models of social assistance and support are determined by the socio-economic situation in the country, the level of social development, and the socio-cultural context. It is emphasized that in the conditions of modern reality, there is a need to develop the Institute of social work and realize its potential.


2012 ◽  
pp. 127-153
Author(s):  
Silvia Cataldi

The article begins with a brief overview of how the relationship between researcher and object of study has been approached in social sciences. The goal is to reflect further on the process of this study and to raise two essential questions: what kind of relationship develops between the researcher and the social actor? And what kind of participation is required from the social actor? To answer these questions the article proposes identifying four different models of participation, the effects of which are analyzed by rediscovering all the practices that include a particular involvement of the social actor in the research process.


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