Social Change

Chester Davis, Nonprofit Consultant

Social Change

Using sociology to change the world

OK, so your goals are probably more modest. You probably have one particular issue or group of related issues that you care about. It doesn't matter what issues interest you; sociological theory and research offer many ways to understand things and to act more effectively.

Here are some examples:

1. A sociological perspective can help you understand the multiple forces influencing the issue, whether it is the status of women in the developing world or teen pregnancy in your community.

2. Sociology can reveal how the real drivers of social behavior (they are not waht you may think!) are relavant to your chosen issue.

3. Research and concepts taken from sociology can help you design an effective program, policy, or organization.

4. Insights from sociology can help you sell your ideas.

5. You will learn how popular explanations of social behavior can lead to wrong conclusions about what should or could be done about an issue.

If you are an activist then you are in the "business" of selling ideas. Ask me how sociology can help you be a better salesperson.

If you want to know more about how sociological research and theory could be put to practical use in your own social change efforts read my sociology blog for some ideas.

I also recommend that your peruse the archives.

Most of my posts are about the ways in which ideas shape our lives and our societies. The posts are abstract but they do contain insights that could be used to help you address an issue that you care about.

Future posts will cover two new subjects:

(1) applying sociological insights to social change efforts (or social betterment for folks in social work)

(2) the six forces (biology, natural environment, psychology, social institutions, social relationships, and probability) that shape society.

Sociological thinking should be integral to activism, policy making, and social work.