Theory & Methods – Page 3 – Sociology at Work

Rigour in Sociological Practice

Three Asian men and an Asian woman in hijab are in a meeting room with a laptop, phone and writing in a book

We tell graduates that sociology can be used to improve the delivery of social services, that it can better shape social policy, that we can use it to mediate conflict to achieve social justice. Yet, once we enter our paid professional life, practitioners often encounter the perception that applied sociological work is less rigorous. WhyContinueContinue reading “Rigour in Sociological Practice”

Sociology’s Gendered “Ritual Nods”

Two miniature figures against a pale blue background, a dwoman in a red dress sitting on a pill, and a man with his hands in his pocket stands beside her

White male European and American voices dominate sociology. New analysis makes me wonder: are we reproducing inequality through our “ritual nods” to social theory?

Applied Sociology Roles, Skills and Methods – New Series

People walk in a crowded place with a train station in the background

What are the roles that applied sociologists take on? What skills and methods do they apply in order to carry out their work? What workplace issues do they face? How do they manage their professional challenges and celebrate their triumphs?

The Utility of Participant Observation in Applied Sociological Research

Hundreds of Muslim men bow down in prayer, with their heads on mats in the middle of a street

Jan Ali describes how he used participant observation to study the religious practices of the Tablighi Jama’at. He considers how this metholodogy is an example of applied sociological practice. By Jan Ali Participant observation has long been an important social inquiry tool in sociological investigation of the social world and in applied sociology. It isContinueContinue reading “The Utility of Participant Observation in Applied Sociological Research”

Using Sociology in Market Research

Three Black people brainstorm in a room. Two of them sit in front of laptops, while anothe woman presents

We explore the evolving history of sociological contributions to market research. We then delve into a current example of sociology used in a social marketing project for a government organisation.

Open Data, Open Access and What They Mean for Applied Sociology

White people work on large screens in a large office

Data are necessary for robust social science but very expensive to collect. Current regulations limit the ability for public servants and researchers sharing their data with the public. What does the open data movement mean for applied sociologists? Here’s two brief case studies on what’s happening in the European Union and in the USA. Open Data inContinueContinue reading “Open Data, Open Access and What They Mean for Applied Sociology”

Welcome to the second edition of Working Notes, the online bulletin for Sociology At Work. In this edition, we tackle the question of what it means to be ‘too academic’ in an applied context. The idea of being ‘too academic’ (or ‘not academic enough’ as the case may be) refers to a way of definingContinueContinue reading “To Be or Not to Be ‘Too Academic’: Theory and Practice in Applied Contexts”

Do It Yourself Social Research and Everyday Evaluation: Lessons From a 40-year Career as an Applied Sociologist. Melbourne, Australia

A white woman stands beside a board with a marker taking notes in room with others brainstorming

Yoland Wadsworth has been working as an applied sociologist for almost four decades in Melbourne, Australia. She specialises in action research techniques, having worked with various research centres within universities as well as with state government research centres, and she also takes on other consultancy work. She writes about her new book which brings togetherContinueContinue reading “Do It Yourself Social Research and Everyday Evaluation: Lessons From a 40-year Career as an Applied Sociologist. Melbourne, Australia”

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