Example of essay, example essays
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It is relevant to observe that most of the personnel involved in this movement are at best marginal sociologists in that they are still graduate students or nontenured members of faculties who have yet to demonstrate that they can win their places as professional journeymen sociologists. They are still very young, very inexperienced, and still presumably engaged in learning the craft of sociology. They appear to be, in the main, excellent students who are very much disillusioned about their elders, sociologists as well as others; and they are convinced that our society is a sick society that must be destroyed.
sample sociology essay
This description of the New Left sociologists is not intended to be pejorative. One cannot lightly dismiss or condemn as undesirable a movement that addresses itself to the elimination of the acute and chronic evils with which society is admittedly afflicted. On the contrary, one must extol the perception, the concern, the dedication, the commitment, and even the fervor of those who would solve the sore problems which beset us. One can question the righteousness and absolutism which characterizes the movement and evaluate in various ways its present and potential effectiveness. But these are not the purposes of this essay. It is rather the purpose of this discussion to consider the place of this actionist ideology and behavior in the craft of sociology.
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Third, that sociology is one of the social sciences. Fourth, that actionist ideology and behavior, necessarily based on value judgments, are incompatible with the role of sociologists as scientists.
Firth, that it is possible for the individual sociologist to play many roles in addition to his role as scientists—that of husband, father, musician, religious believer and, also, that of citizen or social engineer. Sixth, that actionist behavior and ideology are a prerogative of sociologists but not as scientists, any more than their roles as husband or musician, etc., are roles as scientists.
example of a cause and effect essay
These premises lead to the conclusion that the value judgments of scientists, including those of sociologists, all other things being equal, have no more validity than the value judgments of anyone else. For example, the judgment by the New Left and others that the Vietnam War is a horrible, nightmarish, devastating, bestial, imperialist enterprise on the part of the United States, whether held by sociologist or nonsociologists, is not based on sociology or any other science. It, as other value judgments, derives from the norms used as criteria in reaching the judgment, norms that do not have their origin in science but, rather, in the cultures that mankind has evolved.
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If my premises are accepted, then it is clear that actionist ideology and behavior have no place in sociology except, of course, on those matters that pertain to the craft itself. That is, sociologists cannot ignore developments that constitute a threat to the effective functioning of the discipline of sociology. Examples of such threats include any constraints on freedom of research, teaching, recruitment of personnel or, in general, violations of academic freedom. In respect of such matters sociologists must be prepared to defend that sociological establishment, and, indeed, the entire academic establishment; and, appropriately, should be prepared to mobilize and take action against any efforts designed to impinge upon these freedoms.
example of a compare contrast essay
Resolutions by the American Sociological Association, in accordance with its constitution, aimed at defense of freedom of research and teaching and related matters, are then consistent with the premises set forth above. But what about resolutions of the type proposed by the Sociology Liberation Movement and others relating to the Vietnam War or any other social, economic or political evil? Certainly, each sociologist is free to have a position on such matters and to take such action as seems indicated in his role as a citizen or in his role as a social engineer if he is engaged in action programs.
example of descriptive essay
Should the American Sociological Association take a stand on social, economic and political issues beyond those directly affecting the craft of sociology as an academic discipline? It is my contention, based on the premises above, that the answer must be decisively in the negative. For to pursue such a course is to confuse the roles of the scientist and the citizen or social engineer. It necessitates a value judgment that the science of sociology cannot produce, on which sociologists may and do disagree, and which perverts the role of sociologists as scientists. The American Sociological Association as a professional association of scientists has no special ability beyond that of any other organization to make a value judgment; and any actionist behavior which the association as such may take transcends its competence as a scientific organization.
example of dissertation
… It may be argued that just as the doctrine of "guilt by association" is to be deplored, so also, is the doctrine of "validity by association." The fact that the American Sociological Association or any other organization of scientists makes a value judgment does not give that judgment any greater validity than a value judgment made by a nonscientific association. Yet, sociologists, in the heat of emotional reaction and anger, in confusion of their roles as scientists and citizens or social engineers, may act with a righteousness that makes even them believe their value judgments have a superior validity. In fact, what they may demonstrate is that sociologists, even if good scientists, can be as frail, as emotional, as irrational, and as downright silly as anybody else.
examples of personal essays
I am arguing that in taking positions on social, economic, or political issues sociologists would compromise their position as social scientists in revealing their weaknesses rather than their strengths. Sociologists, as citizens or as social engineers, can express their value judgments through many other channels without destroying the image of the craft of sociology, dragging sociology as a profession into the heat of the political arena, and impairing sociology's ability to perform its basic tasks in investigation and education. For the sociologist may be a good scientist even if he is a naive citizen or an incompetent social engineer. To confuse his roles is to gain nothing while risking his potential to be an effective scientist.
example of essay
Fortunately, the membership of the association, in less emotional moments and in keeping with its knowledge of human behavior, including the behavior of sociologists, adopted a constitution which prevents the members who happen to attend a business meeting from passing resolutions in the name of the American Sociological Association. This power is reserved to the council which receives the actions of the business meeting as recommendations and which, in more sober deliberation, acts in the name of the association. Even this provision does not guarantee rational behave or for the council, meeting in Boston with the emotional surcharge provided by the business meeting, also voted not to meet in Chicago.