Sociology Is Not Very Useful When Informing Social Policy. to What Extent Do Sociological Arguments and Evidence Support This Claim?

Sociology is not very useful when informing social policy. To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this claim?

Social policy is something that is done by the government that deals with the well being of their citizens such as pensions, unemployment benefits and health. Social policy focuses on social problems and how social institutions respond to them. Social Policy analysts use sociological research to inform governments and other organisations, and influence their response to social problems. Governments use quantitative statistical research to discover basic social trends such as the levels of population growth, unemployment, income and inequality, this type of research can give governments an insight into the causes of social problems such as poverty and crime.

Some sociologists have diverse views on the link between research and policy; postmodernists such as Bauman believe that sociology should inform social research, and worries that society may get worse if sociological theories about poverty and welfare aren’t listened to. On the other hand, Lyotard is worried that scientific methods of sociological research could be used to construct oppressive metanarratives. Lyotard sees modernist metanarratives as leading to strict doctrine and oppression. Also, Marxists believe that sociology is too close with the capitalist system to make a difference to society. Since Marxists believe that capitalism is flawed and oppressive, they say that sociological study is a tool used to justify unjust social policy. Also, feminist sociologists believe that sociology cannot be used to affect gender inequality, however they are in disagreement because liberal feminists believe that sociological research has influenced government and that there have been beneficial results, for example the UK government has made social policy to improve the equality of women such as the Equal Pay Act. However radical feminists argue that liberal feminist sociology...