Revija za sociologiju, Vol. 5 No. 1-2, 1975.
Prethodno priopćenje
Sociologist Facing the Problem of Social Inequality and Social Equality
Srđan Vrcan
; Pravni fakultet, Split, Žrtava fašizma 8
Sažetak
Social inequality and social equality have been one of the vital problems concerning social thought and scientific researches of social reality.
First, the author brings to light the patterns of relations with regard to social inequalities and social equality, then he emphasizes that each and every sociologist, including a Yugoslav one as well faces serious theoretical difficulties and moral dilemma when deciding to consider the problem of the contemporary society more systematically and with more engagement. Considering the problem in such i way the author comes to dilemma about the meaning of the whole of the activity that a sociologist as a sociologist must occupy himself with.
Two objections have been connected with a decision of a sociologist to research critically the actual social inequalities and social equality, particularly those of a dominating systematic and structural nature. According to the first objection, the faster industrialization and modernization, being the only means for the creation of the objective possibilities that can lessen the existing poverty and misery, would be made more difficult by a sociological interest for social inequalities with its tendency to consider the problems of distribution and extended egalitarianism (the outlived mentality of the traditional rural society).
The second objection criticizes occupation with social inequalities that, in fact, expresses tendency of those intellectuals who accept a general ideological attitude; but under the flag of »equality« and despising the bourgeois civilization they, in a disguised way, fight for power and status of elite. The third objection points out that the interest for social inequalities adds to the increasing of tendency towards wider use of a distinctly authoritative means in solving the ardent problems of the contemporary society. Finally, according to the fourth objection the occupation with that problem is superfluous because it has been spontaneously solved by the industrialization of a society.
The first objection is not to be taken into account because inequalities also exist in the countries with the social basis of retaining and restoring the rural mentality essentially reduced. Furthermore, none of the suppositions, that the second objection is based on, has been proved. Modern political experience disapproves the third objection because it convinces us that the authoritarianism goes together with a distinctly anti-egalitarian tendencies. The fourth objection also cannot be taken into account because the recresaing of the existing inequality in the distribution of wealth and income has not taken place parallel with the development of industrialization.
But since social inequality has been almost universal, very complex and multidimensional phenomenon, since the egalitarian social movements, even through victory, have not succeeded in achieving their aims, and since there are different strategies for solving the problems of inequality with the effects exhibiting no essential difference after all, the author calls in question the entire meaning of a sociological occupation with problems of inequality and equality. He has carried out the analysis of the general sociological theoretical positions that offer certain possibilities for answering that question.
According to the conception of the free-values science a sociologist should occupy himself only with the facts already existing in a social reality. This position is not acceptable because a sociologist cannot but practically justify the existing social engagements as necessary.
The conception about sociology as being a science that helps us to »endure reality « allows critical reference towards the factual existing, but it ends in proclaiming with reason the actual reality, as well as it ends in the transformation of a sociologist into a priest.
The third possibility is kept hidden in an attitude which says that the general rationalization of the external apparatus of human existence and people should be brought to such an intellectual level that corresponds to the civilization they live in.
The essence of the fourth position is despising of the factual reality and complete acceptance of what should be. This position often impresses by its intellectual and moral characteristics, but it leaves apart that which already exists as factual reality on the trace of what is desirble and possible.
The optimum position is the one according to which the essential field of the sociological interest is just the one where, what already exists as factual reality touches what should be, and that in turn makes itself more serious and becomes what it is.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
156391
URI
Datum izdavanja:
30.6.1975.
Posjeta: 1.217 *