Applied Sociology: Bringing Theory into Practice and Practice into Theory I

Sociology is at core a science of the social. From the earliest formation of the discipline, sociologists have sought to make sense of complex social realities and to find solutions to injustices, problems, and inequities encountered in the worlds that they study. Ours is therefore a practical academic pursuit, one that creates new knowledge in the pursuit of better ways of living together in ever more complex societies.

Yet there remains a tendency both within and beyond the discipline to understand applied sociology or social ‘practice’ as inherently outcomes oriented and lacking theoretical rigour. At the same time, social theory is often imagined as esoteric and arcane, untethered from practical solutions to ‘real world’ problems.

This professional development session disputes both assumptions. Our presenters demonstrate the value of applied sociologies that draw on theoretical concepts to creatively address wicked problems, while also exploring the generative potential of engaged intersectoral research to generate new insights that enrich social theory.

This professional development session targets scholars who wish to bridge the gap between theoretical and applied sociology. Drawing on the rich and diverse experiences of our presenters, all scholars of migration and diversity, session participants will be invited to consider the application of sociology to various sectors and across multiple scales.

Professor Anju Mary Paul is well known for research on migrant domestic care labour that bridges the gap between scholarship and activism. Her recent development of a Global Care Policy Index (GCPI) illustrates how theory that is grounded in rich empirical and comparative data can be harnessed to serve policy analysis at local, national, or supranational scales. Her emphasis on freely and publicly sharing the GCPI data and scoring frameworks also ties back to her belief that researchers can accelerate social change for the better via open collaboration and conversation.