The sociologist working in State Social Services: The Nature, Challenges and Opportunities facing them in Russia

Abstract

In this article the key features of a sociologist’s professional activities in state social service institutions in Saint Petersburg are examined. The authors try to answer the following questions: What position do most sociologists occupy in social services today and what to what do they owe this position? What challenges and opportunities do they face? What are the chances of the sociology of social services developing as a separate professional group? The empirical material for this survey is based on data received from monitoring and participant observations of the social service agencies where the sociologists are employed,. We also gathered interviews and documented regular seminars. Existing normative documents do not adequately reflect activity of sociologists. Some features of professional sociology today in social service are similar to the conditions faced by Soviet sociologists the factories of the USSR. Social services seek to gather information on public inquiry and social support. These institutions also look at the ways societies and communities estimate the work of sociologists, and also control the work of experts working directly with the clients of social services. Solving this problem is the task of sociologists employed in the state social service and they are expected to organise the repertoire of their research accordingly. There are only limited chances for practically applying the results of this research since the opinion of local community plays a secondary role for a social service. This fact determines how those managing social services view sociologists. The set of skills a sociologist is expected to master as well as his or her research focus depend on the perceptions and inquires of directors and managers of an institution where sociologists actually work. Comparatively low salaries and the limited autonomy of sociologists result in a high turnover of staff within this position. Sociologists of social service today face serious problems that basically reflect the main problems of state social service as an institution. These problems are possible to solve if we develop professional standards and facilitate cooperation between the professional sociologists in front of external institutions interfering into their professional activity.