Social Research and State Policy
Abstract
What happens to a science when its object changes? The development of social science passed through various stages from the 1930s to the 1990s that are not independent from contemporary social changes. In this article three main themes are put forward: A. Changes and specializations in sociology and social research during this period are tied to the emergence, the general pervasiveness and the crisis of the welfare state and more specifically with the transformed role of the state. Crucial to the changes in social research is the problem emphasized by the relations between 'science policy' -state policy on social research- and 'policy sciences' -social science aspiring to contribute knowledge to shape state policy. B. Attention is paid to a methodological turn, with usable knowledge as departure point, taking place towards the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s. Basic models of applied social research are presented and appraised. C. The article concludes by localizing some elements that might bring about a re-examination of basic assumptions on which applied social research is founded, in order to correspond to the new conditions during globalization. The article is limited to empirical (or analytical) sociology as this developed in the USA and Europe.
Article Details
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Κονιαβίτης Θ. (2016). Social Research and State Policy. Science and Society: Journal of Political and Moral Theory, 23, 1–42. https://doi.org/10.12681/sas.10321
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