Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Political Sociology



Political sociology is the study of power dynamics in various relationships, primarily between government and governed. Political sociologists form hypotheses about these interactions, and use the scientific method to learn about them.

This diagram shows that information gleaned from political soiciology
is a key component in any government.

This field of research appeals to me because I have always been interested in philosophy and politics, and becoming a political sociologist would give me a chance to examine these areas in a scientific manner. I have always been interested in thought and debate about the best form of government, and scientific analysis such as this might provide key insight in determining this.

Plato had similar interests in philosophy and government
and was in some ways an early political sociologist


In my opinion, research in this field is of the utmost importance, because of the positive change that it could lead to. Only through examining political trends and analysis of the relationship between government and governed can we improve our political system. I typically think in a very analytical manner, and this coupled with my penchant for philosophical thought means that I would likely be well suited for this field.

Political sociology has the potential to unlock great secrets, and provide a government that is fair and just for future generations. Or perhaps we will realize that the very notion of government is corrupt, and establish global anarchy; only time and delving into this field of research will tell.


Images:
http://www.asa3.org/aSA/PSCF/1966/JASA6-66CameronFig.jpg
http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/media/galleries/philosophy/ancient/Plato4.gif

3 comments:

  1. I thought this post was really interesting, and I really liked all of the links!

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  2. I'm surprised you didn't mention anarchy more in this post! I never knew about this field before reading this but was fascinated on how philosiphers are still hard at work on finding the best form of government.

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  3. This is the perfect field to push your "philosophical" agenda and bend the boundries of science. Seeing as the NHD project invovles some anarchic commune and the fact that you're taking philosophy I think this is the perfect field for you. As I read it I was chuckling to myself because this was completly "you". I'm kind of dissapointed that you didn't go with cryptozoology though.

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