The results of a sociological survey conducted by Alisher Gardonshoev, a graduate of the CABAR.Asia School of Analytics, show that the residents of the capital of Tajikistan have an overwhelmingly positive attitude towards sociological surveys. At the same time, a quarter of those surveyed believe that the government should take the results of such surveys into account.
Dushanbe, illustrative photo. Source: ozodi.org
Conducting sociological research is necessary because it provides knowledge about the social world in which we live. Even states need sociological research to make good policies. For instance, demographic surveys are conducted in all parts of the globe, helping society to formulate public welfare policies.
Even an introductory demographic survey shows the population structure of each district, city and province in a country, which helps to improve the practice of providing health, education and communication services to the population. Policymakers would not be able to formulate appropriate policies relating to the basic needs of the people in the absence of demographic knowledge, as they would not know how many schools and hospitals should be built.
Sociological research aims to increase people’s knowledge about society, processes and changes in public life, explain the causes and consequences of behaviour and activities of social relations subjects, and find ways to solve social problems (poverty, unemployment, migration, suicide, etc.). “For sociological research to fulfill this mission, the following conditions are necessary: freedom to conduct research and publish its results, favourable economic and political environment”.[1]
The results of sociological research and the information presented are used by representatives of state bodies, decision-makers and other subjects of public activity to control, regulate and solve arising problems.[2]
To find out public opinion on a particular social issue, the author together with Doctor of Sociology, Professor Shonazar Shoismatulloyev and Candidate of philosophical sciences, Associate Professor Firuz Mirov conducted a small sociological study through an online survey, the results of which are briefly presented in this article.[3]
The short study explored public opinion regarding sociology, the need for sociological research, the scope of application of sociological research findings, the validity of research outputs and other issues related to sociological studies.
The rationale for the study
Sociology and sociological studies have an essential role in addressing social problems and the participation of civil society representatives in making socially significant decisions.
After World War II, especially after the creation of the UN, the rights and freedoms of citizens and their participation in the socio-political and cultural life of their country increased significantly. In particular, the Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976), etc. guaranteed the freedom and protection of human and civil rights.
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” is the first legal instrument that protects the rights of all people in the world and is used by all people. The “International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, [protects and fulfills the human and civil rights referred to in the declaration]. “The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights” commits parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, etc.
Today, these legal documents describe modern society as a large, complex “communication network”. The common rights and freedoms of citizens established in these normative documents have created close mutual relations between different countries, facilitating the resolution of issues that have arisen.
Even the UN representatives make extensive use of sociological research to address various societal issues. As the Executive Director of the International Social Science Council notes, “Long-term sociological research is needed to investigate social inequalities and other global goals.”
This study aims to examine public opinion on determining the need for sociological research in Tajikistan, that is, to identify public attitudes toward sociology.
The volume of a sample of research. The research involved 186 respondents. In general, the following socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents were taken into account during the survey:
- Age – over 18 years old;
The target group of research:
- Residents of Dushanbe city.
Preparation of research tools. In developing the questionnaire (online survey) the opinion of experts, media materials, and the results of sociological research was widely used.
The research involved 186 people of different professions and ages, including 18-24 years old (67.2%), 25-34 years old (22.6%), 35-44 years old (6.5%), and over 45 years old (3.8%). (See Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1: Age of respondents (n=186, %)
As we have mentioned above, public opinion is the opinion of all citizens, regardless of their level of education, so the study involved people with different levels of education. Of the total number of respondents 41.9% have a complete secondary education, 27.4% have a bachelor’s degree, 12.4% have higher education, 7.0% have a master’s degree, 1.6% have a scientific degree (PhD, Doctor of Sciences) (see Diagram 3).
Figure 2: Education of respondents (n=186, %)
First of all, during the survey, respondents were asked about the need to conduct sociological surveys to study public opinion. According to the results of the survey, the majority of respondents – 68.8% considered it necessary to study public opinion, 23.7% considered it necessary to some extent, and only 6.5% said that it was not necessary to study public opinion (see Figure 4). Respondents who considered it necessary to study public opinion noted that public opinion should be studied constantly (69.8%). According to 41.9% of respondents, people should express their opinion on a particular social issue, and 24.4% of respondents said that the government should study people’s opinions to address public issues. 9.9% of respondents stated that people’s opinion is necessary only for statistics (see Figure 5).
Figure 3. The need for public opinion research (n=186, %)
Figure 4: If necessary, then what for? (n=186, %)
People who say that it is not necessary to study public opinion, justify their point of view by saying that “Public opinion is useless to know because no one takes it into account” and “Do not believe the results of surveys, because not everyone answers the questions correctly.” The age of respondents, who consider public opinion polls unnecessary, is mostly over 45 years old. This distrust is mainly because the older generation considers sociology a “bourgeois pseudoscience invented by the French reactionary Auguste Comte”. It is also because the 1990s did not affect the development of our sociology in the best possible way.
As can be seen from the results of the study, the majority of respondents consider it necessary to conduct sociological research. The majority of respondents (45.7%) think that sociologists themselves need the results of sociological research, who conduct surveys for scientific purposes. At the same time, 37.6% of respondents noted that politicians and governing bodies need the results of sociological research. According to 36,6% of respondents, the results of sociological research are important and necessary for all citizens interested in understanding public opinion. 14,0% of respondents stated that public organizations and charitable organizations need the results of sociological research. Also, 11,8% of respondents consider that sociological research is conducted for mass media. 10.8% of respondents consider that sociological research is necessary for enterprises and commercial organizations (see Figure 6).
Figure 5. Who needs the results of sociological research most of all? (n=186, %)
One of the issues of applied sociology is the level or degree of reliability of sociological research results, which caused many discussions among specialists and ordinary citizens. According to 44.1% of respondents, the results of sociological research reflect the opinion of citizens in general. Almost half of the respondents (46.2%) think the results of sociological research reflect the opinion of citizens to some extent, and only 7.5% of respondents have doubts about the validity of sociological research results. Following this, we can conclude that the majority of respondents believe in the reliability of the information obtained as a result of sociological research (see Figure 7).
Figure 6. Do the results of sociological surveys generally reflect the opinion of citizens or not?
To further understand the validity of the results of sociological surveys and the need for them, respondents were offered several statements, about which respondents had to express their agreement or disagreement. Respondents reacted to the statement “Opinion polls help find out what people think about the state of their cities so that the government takes into account people’s opinions in decision-making” in the following way: the overwhelming majority of respondents (88.2%) agree with this statement, and 11.8% of respondents reject this statement. 68.3% of respondents agreed with the statement “The results of the sociological survey are used by the authorities and businessmen to improve the efficiency of their activities,” while 31.7% disagreed.
58.6% of the respondents agree and 41.4% disagree with the statement “In many cases, the results of opinion polls are used by the media to influence people and force them to take some actions. 72.6% of the respondents agree and 27.4% disagree with the statement “Scientists mainly study opinion polls, as their results are necessary for scientific understanding of society. 39.2% agree and 60.8% disagree with the statement “Sociological research is only needed for profit by sociological companies. 45.2% agree and 54.8% disagree with the statement “No one pays attention to opinion poll results” 86.6% agree with the statement “Sociological surveys are necessary to obtain information from people and use this information” and 13.4% disagree (see Figure 8).
Figure 7. Respondents’ agreement with the statements (n=186, %)
Conclusions and recommendations
From the analysis of respondents’ opinions, it is clear that sociological research helps to study people’s thoughts and opinions to address public issues, and their results are used by authorities and businessmen to improve the effectiveness of their activities. In general, the following conclusions can be made based on the results of sociological research:
- the study of public opinion is extremely necessary for making important decisions and solving people’s life issues; governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions should constantly conduct sociological research to identify the state of their activities, to identify existing problems and ways to solve them;
- most respondents note that sociologists, journalists, politicians, young researchers, entrepreneurs, and all people interested in understanding public opinion need the results of sociological research;
- according to the majority of respondents, the results of sociological research reflect the opinion of citizens, and they believe in the reliability of sociological information. Also, most respondents believe that public opinion research helps to incorporate citizens’ opinions and suggestions into the decision-making process.
Thus, sociological research helps to identify social problems, identify the causes of social problems, and find ways to solve them. In the future, specialists in sociology will help to determine the social policy of the state and the prospects for Tajikistan’s development. Experience shows that in the future, every institution and organization will open research centres, and sociologists will play a major role in publicizing the work of these centres.
The need for research is increasing every year, and sociologists are making a major contribution to this field. In the context of globalization and undesirable world events, sociological knowledge can shape the scientific worldview and value orientations of people, especially the level of self-awareness, national consciousness and sense of patriotism of young people.
To better understand the importance of sociological research, we need to recall the benefits it brings to citizens and society:
- It enhances the welfare of mankind: Most social science research is conducted to enhance the welfare of mankind.
- It helps to increase knowledge and correct current errors: Sociological research adds to existing knowledge and can also be used to test social facts or beliefs.
- It provides insight into social life: Sociological research is used to gather information about social phenomena. It gives us an understanding of the social life of different groups.
- Sociological research helps us gain valid and reliable knowledge about social structures and social groups. This information can be used to break down prejudices, misconceptions and superstitions, accelerate social progress and create a more inclusive society.
- It formulates new theories. Sociological research allows us to formulate new theories in various fields of study. Many theories about leadership, motivation, and human behaviour would not have emerged if not for sociological research.
- Over time, sociological research has been used to create methodologies and address social problems such as drug abuse, violence, work ethics, leadership styles, child labour, and inequality. They are also constantly being used to revise old methodologies or create new ones.
[1] Mirov F.S. Introduction to Social Research Methods. (Шиносои бо методҳои тадқиқоти иҷтимоӣ). / F.S. Mirov, H. Shoinbekov, J. Juraev. – Dushanbe: Avalon LLC, 2015. — p.116.
[2] Shoismatulloev Sh. Sociology. / Sh. Shoismatulloev, H. Idiev, V.A. Bakhrombekov, F.S. Mirov. – Dushanbe: Donishvar, 2019. — p.367.
[3] The importance of sociological research in the Tajik society // Report on the results of sociological research ( Date of research: April-May 2022).