Number 2: Measuring Success

This is part of a series of Top 7 Things Sociology Offers the World.

Sociology offers some of the best ways to measure our successes.

If we do take the time to ask what does the data tell us and what solutions make sense given that data, we still need sociology to help us see if some solution is working or not. Social data is always difficult to obtain because we are fish studying fish in a fishbowl. But that doesn't mean it gives us no information. Properly funded, well-designed research can, in fact, track change and give us data on improving our lives.



However, I think the most important aspect of learning sociological methods is not what we can produce or evaluate ourselves, but rather how our ability to detect other people's bullshit will become easier. Hard sciences help with this, of course. Knowing the scientific method is the first step. Sociological methods, however, go beyond predictions, theories and cause/effect proofs to rounding out context to these things. Bias exists in all scientific studies and must be sought out and accounted for in order to do good research, no matter what is being researched. Sociology gives us tools to identify those biases on both the macro level and the micro level.

In a society that has made the words "studies have shown" into a magic incantation in which any words that follow in the sentence are instantly and irrefutably "true," understanding the context to research and media is more important than ever.

We live in what has been called "the information age" and yet we rarely take the time to evaluate that information. Sociology is one of the best ways to fully understand what we are being told and how good the information really is.

Sociology offers an understanding or our collective nature that improves our personal lives. (Published March 27, 2013, 6am PDT)