ABSTRACT
Sociology is concerned with the observation and analysis of relationships occurring in society. It attempts to measure patterns of social behaviours carried out by individuals and seeks to explain these through the social conditions (environment or nurture) in which they live and develop. The most significant and influential of these environments is the family. Sociological research has, in the past, been influential in supporting the cultural and idealised stereotypical view of family life within Western societies. For example, Bowlby’s (1951) study of attachment (see Chapters 1 and 6) advocated a childhood cared for by primary carers and thus stereotypical family life. More recently, sociological research has increasingly become the bedrock on which governments develop their social policies for benefits and childcare provision. By collecting national figures on the divorce rates and the number of dependent children within the UK, sociologists influence policy by using an analysis of their results to forecast what support and intervention may be required in the future.
