SOC202A Essay: Analyzing the Importance of Social Research in Society

This essay delves into the importance of social research, contrasting it with common-sense knowledge and highlighting its significant contributions to society. It defines social research as a systematic method used by social scientists to understand human behavior and societal dynamics. The essay emphasizes that social research, unlike common sense, relies on scientific methods and expertise, enabling researchers to predict behavior, facilitate social control, and enhance knowledge in social studies. It underscores the role of social research in addressing social problems, informing policy, and fostering community development. Contemporary examples illustrate how social research contributes to understanding market needs, addressing issues like income inequality, and promoting cultural understanding. The study concludes that social research is essential for managing societal changes, improving individual and organizational performance, and achieving personal and professional goals.

The importance of social
research and its
contributions to
knowledge and society

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Social research is the method or research conducted by social scientists following a systematic
plan. The research in relation to society can be classified as quantitative and qualitative which
could help to manage all functions and activities. This is important for each individual to analyze
the environment and society where a number of people are living for the purpose of
understanding new working methods and supporting to grow the business plans (Wadsworth,
2020). Social research is performed by an individual for better understand what motivates human
beings and analyze how and why humans interact with each other. Social research is used by
researchers to learn about people and societies so that they could design products and services
for the purpose of catering to the various need of the people. The different socio-economic
groups belonging to a different parts of a country think differently. A society faced many types
of problems which needs to be resolve by managing all functions and activities. The current
research is about social research and its knowledge which needs to be attracting the people.
MAIN BODY
Social research refers to a methodology which is used by individual for the purpose of
learning about people nature and their behaviour that can help to develop the performance.
Society is the involvement of number of people and group who identify their needs and comes to
know what could affect their business and productivity. It has seen that social research
containing methods of conducting research at wider range where investigation of historical sites,
and detailed analysis of particular topic is involved. While conducting research it is important to
analysis the environment and introduces the different sources which can be used to develop the
performance and productivity (May, & Perry, B. 2022). In other words, social research is the
study of social trends, dynamics, and principles commonly displayed by society and people. The
environment is changing day by day where it became important for business industries to analyse
the needs and wants of people who belongs to different society and people which supported to
grow the business effectively. The research regarding society is conducted by individuals that
helps to know what motivates human being and to analyse how and why humans connected to
each other. Social research is different from common sense knowledge as it is developed by
observing the people in society and then decisions are taken accordingly (Kaushik, & Walsh,
2019). This is important for each individual to conduct the study about people’s needs and
1

behaviour then offer the kind of products and services. Common sense is something that is not
all scientific and differ with perspective. This is based on limited experience, whereas
sociological views require expertise in the field. It is needed for an individual to test the topic
and wants of people who works at the workplace and supported to grow the business activities.
For example, a community wants new products and services in hospitality sector where the
business owner needs to analyse the environment and supports to introduce the products
accordingly. It is natural to bring out the change in society needs as climate is changing day by
day where introduction of products could be good opportunity to satisfy the people and manage
them properly. If there is lack of knowledge and skills regarding societal change then could be
opportunity to regulate the business and social environment. The common sense knowledge
requires to have in each individual as it supports to develop the understanding and ability of
person to conduct analysis and attain the higher productivity (Thomann, & Maggetti, 2020).
It has seen that social research is important for researcher as it allows individual to
predict human behaviour, facilitating social control that could help to develop the business
productivity and profitability. The social research is helpful to improve the understanding
regarding people and society who could fill the needs and supports to accomplish the personal
and group of people. The social research also need to identifying the complexities of problems,
uphold truth and build on reliable as well as authentic knowledge which could help to bring
higher performance and productivity. The individual should have proper understanding regarding
specific topic which could be used to filling society demand and managing the all activities. The
social research helps people to increase the welfare of humanity by facilitating development of
knowledge mainly in field of social studies. Conducting research in social aspects could be
effective point which supported to each individual to manage the work systematically and grow
their functions (Alston, & Bowles, 2020). The social research is used by investigators to learn
about societies so that kind of products and services could be design properly. The social
research is the systematic and objective analysis and recording of controlled observations that
may lead to the development of generalization, principles or theories resulting in prediction and
possibly ultimate control of events in society. It attempts to answer or solve social problems.
This has been contributed to organizational productivity as well as community by bringing new
knowledge and skills in individuals. This also contributes in society by understanding the
problems and suggesting best areas which could be used to resolve the issues and maintaining
2

the higher performance. A researcher who has good knowledge regarding social study and
behaviour of a person then could be effective to control excessive activities and functions. Social
research is important as it contribute to population policy and effective of family in planning
programs. The needs and wants of people is different where it became important to analysis the
environment and comes to find out the issues that rises and find out the optimum solution. Social
research is a critical foundation for programs that used to engage communities in change and in
the development of suitable societies (Atanda, 2019).
The contemporary social research is required to understand the market needs and offering
the kind of services which could help to develop the individual as well as organizational
performance. The meaning of contemporary is continuous change which is adopted for the
purpose of managing all functions and activities. For example, freedom of religion is the major
aspects in society where people belong to different culture and religion that could affect the
individual performance (Caputo, Garcia-Perez, Cillo, & Giacosa, 2019). Due to changing in
religion people behave differently in society resulting not management of work properly. The
people is having knowledge and skills to analysis the market and introduce services which can be
used to overcome the social issues which rises while working. Income inequality in society is
increasing day by day where people are feeling stress and does not get ready to work
continuously, has created challenges to retain such kind of people and recruit new one. It became
important to treat all people whether belong to other culture as same which can help to manage
the all activities and functions. Due to changing in environment and society, people need to more
focus on their culture that could help to arranging the resources and capital accordingly (Bansal,
Garg, & Sharma, (2019). The social research is helpful to evaluate the issues which are
pertaining while managing the society and changing market on regular basis. This could be
important to recognise the societal issues and follow the theories and approaches to managing the
social changes. This study is contributed to society by providing details regarding specific topic,
behaving positively, and arranging all functions accurately that supported to grow the business
and attain the higher performance. This also helps to accomplish the personal as well as
professional goals by conducting study regarding society and it related to changes which can
help to attaining the higher performance.
3

CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that social research is study of surrounding area
where number of people belonging to different culture, religion, and customers are living. The
social research is needed to develop the skills and abilities of an individual where it brings lots of
data collection and managing the all functions accurately. The society is made of community
which suggest how each people think, works, and managing the functions effectively.
4

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Wadsworth, Y. (2020). Do It Yourself Social Research: The bestselling practical guide to doing
social research projects. Routledge.
May, T., & Perry, B. (2022). Social research: Issues, methods and process. McGraw-Hill
Education (UK).
Kaushik, V., & Walsh, C. A. (2019). Pragmatism as a research paradigm and its implications for
social work research. Social sciences, 8(9), 255.
Alston, M., & Bowles, W. (2020). Research for social workers: An introduction to methods.
Routledge.
Thomann, E., & Maggetti, M. (2020). Designing research with qualitative comparative analysis
(QCA): Approaches, challenges, and tools. Sociological Methods & Research, 49(2),
356-386.
Caputo, F., Garcia-Perez, A., Cillo, V., & Giacosa, E. (2019). A knowledge-based view of
people and technology: directions for a value co-creation-based learning
organisation. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(7), 1314-1334.
Bansal, S., Garg, I., & Sharma, G. D. (2019). Social entrepreneurship as a path for social change
and driver of sustainable development: A systematic review and research
agenda. Sustainability, 11(4), 1091.
Wadsworth, Y. (2020). May, T., & Perry, B. (2022 Kaushik, V., & Walsh, C. A. (2019). Alston,
M., & Bowles, W. (2020). Thomann, E., & Maggetti, M. (2020). Caputo, F., Garcia-Perez, A.,
Cillo, V., & Giacosa, E. (2019). Bansal, S., Garg, I., & Sharma, G. D. (2019).
5