Bullying: Policy and (Sociological) Theory Sociological theories, concepts, and studies provide a greater purpose and function more than just being products of academic and research extension work. Work in policy development is where usually these theories and studies are translated into policy recommendations and if lobbied and defended with strong support from key and influential individuals and groups, could actually lead to legislative action. Indeed, the conversion of theory to policy is a process that drives sociologists and social researchers to explore, determine, and understand more social phenomena that would create great impact to the society in general. One of the examples in which theory is translated to policy is on the issue of bullying in schools. The National Crime Prevention Council, through its program, Positive Change Through Policy ( HYPERLINK "http://www.ncpc.org" www.ncpc.org), provides specific policies and legislation that have been developed as a result of social research and studies that used sociological theories as the foundation of the research work. In the case of bullying, NCPC cited three examples of policy and legislation that proactively addresses the issue of bullying in schools. These policies/legislation include: (1) a policy in New York that formally commits schools to proactively prevent bullying in their respective schools, in addition to providing counseling and intervention programs to bullies and 'reformed' bullies; (2) a law in
It is important to define the term bullying accurately because that term alone can be adversarial. With that being said it can mean intimidation, aggression, hostile behaviors, and pestering the weak. Bullying takes place in schools, work, and in your own home. It can pretty much happen anywhere. Bullying in my terms is anything that can make a person feel weak minded, and has to submit.
According to Bryman, a sociological concept is the building block of a theory, what concepts do is represent the points around which the social research will be surrounded by (163). Some examples of concepts are: agency, social class, culture, academic achievement and so forth. Sociological theory is used in an array of ways but in sociology it is used as an explanation of observed regularities (Bryman, 21). In sociology there is an abyss of ways researchers approach theory when conducting research. Quantitative research takes a deductive approach, meaning that the theory is the root of the research; The main steps that follow qualitative research are inductive so the process is one that follows a top down approach, this means that the data
To commence, we first began our journey into sociological enlightenment by analyzing the most basic way in which a sociologist evaluates a social problem, with the use of the sociological imagination. By utilizing our sociological imagination, we can associate our personal problems with the broader problems of society. By learning this method of evaluation, we can open our mind to differing views on problems. This allows us to attempt to solve social dilemmas in a nonbiased fashion. I particularly appreciated this unit as non-bias is something I strive for in everyday life. Likewise, I attempt to learn both sides of any argument to ensure that I can make the best decision that I can, and I believe that the sociological imagination encompasses those very same values.
Everyone in the world has a theory about why something happens or how it happens, but in sociology there are many different types of theories that often contradict each other. Theory is defined as “a statement of how and why specific facts are related” (Macionis, 2013). Most theories explain why people act in certain ways and explains why a person in a group may act different than someone that is alone. When building sociological theories most sociologist ask their selves two different questions: “What issues should we study?” and “How should we connect the facts?” (Macionis, 2013). By answering these questions the sociologist is led to a road map, or a theoretical approach. Theoretical approach is described as “a basic image of society that
Bullying has been a social problem for decades. Bullying started out with name calling, but today bulling comes in different forms. You find bullying in schools, texts, and social media to name a few. The following information provided in this research paper discusses the history of bullying and how the history has shaped bullying today. The paper will provide informative background information about bullying and the definition of bullying. This paper will discuss the roles and skills of the human service professional that works with the population that is affected by the social problem.
Sociological theories are embedded in a particular social context and are deeply influenced by them. Each sociological thinker or theorist has to respond to the social institution in which he or she exists and to try and make sense of the enveloping culture. In other words, sociological theories are sociologist’s response to the context in which he lives and works.
In recent years, bullying has gained attention due to school shootings and the increased awareness of mental illnesses. It has led people wanting to know why people become bullies and why others become victims of bullying. To answer those questions, it is important to look at bullying from a sociological perspective.It shows what behavioral patterns and norms occur between individuals and their society that leads to bullying.
A key part of engaging in sociology is to adopt a sociological viewpoint or 'think sociologically'. Etymologically, sociology is the 'study of society' but this doesn't differentiate sociology from other forms of social study. Hence, many begin to describe thinking sociologically by what it is not - it is not thinking politically, thinking anthropologically, thinking historically or thinking psychologically, for example (Berger 1966: 11-36; Reiss 1968: 2-3). Others try to determine the nature of sociological thinking by detailing practical phenomena which can be thought about such as social systems and their subsystems, social institutions and social structure, and social aggregates, relationships, groups and organisations (Reiss 1968: 1),
Sociology and sociological thinking are a vital part of society, and through examining both society and individuals, sociology is able to make changes to areas such as policies, and attitudes that may have usually negatively affected them, and instead gained a positive result through the careful research, and applied knowledge.
With males all of the things described from the female perspective can also occur. A lot of it has to do with the physical aspect of
Most kids say that they don’t see bullying around school. In just Minnesota alone there is talk about bullying and how to prevent it. Sen. Franken states, “Nine out of 10 LGBT kids are harassed or bullied in school. One-third report having skipped school in the last month because they felt unsafe” (Shah 14). Kids should not feel unsafe to go to school. School is supposed to be a safe place to go and if someone needs help there are supposed to be people there to guide them. Franken adds, “But the sad fact is that our federal laws are failing” (Shah 14). Laws have been made to try to stop bullying, but bullying continues to exist. This shows how out of control bullying is becoming.
28% of students in the U.S. have experienced bullying in 6th - 12th grade. Bullies are
Bullying is progressively seen as a enormous problem in the United States and around the world and unfortunately for many, numerous research has started to prove that its consequences are real and can have long lasting impact for both victim and those who love them. Throughout or society Homosexuality is deemed unfavorable in religious and cultural circles of people in the United States. Thus providing those to be outcast and making them even more of targets for the hostility of others. Bullying it its own right has consequences that are far reaching especially for those in the LGBT community.
Sociological theories are the core and underlying strength of the discipline. They guide researchers in their studies. They also guide practitioners in their intervention strategies. And they will provide you with a basic understanding of how to see the larger social picture in your own personal life. Theory=a set of interrelated concepts used to describe, explain, and predict how society and its parts are related to each other. The metaphor I’ve used for many years to illustrate the usefulness of a theory is what I call "The goggles metaphor." Goggles are a set of inter-related parts that help us see things more clearly. Goggles work because the best scientific components work together to magnify, enlarge, clarify, and expand to our view the
Because “all of the ecological systems significantly influenced bullying behaviors in either direct or indirect ways” (Lee 2010, p. 1688), interventions should too (Leff 2007). Researchers have suggested that anti-bullying interventions should encompass individual solutions, such as teaching problem solving, as well as solutions involving peers, parents, teachers and the school (Hanish and Guerra 2000; Leff 2007; Mishna et al. 2006); however to our knowledge, no research has employed a social-ecological framework to examine bullying interventions as it relates to disciplinary strategies used by