What is Clinical Sociology?
                     WHAT IS 
CLINICAL 
SOCIOLOGY?
Introduction
Clinical sociology is a humanistic, multidisciplinary 
specialization that seeks to improve the quality of 
people’s lives. 
Clinical sociologists assess situations and reduce 
problems through analysis and intervention. 
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Clinical Analysis
Clinical analysis is the critical assessment of 
beliefs, policies, and/or practices with an interest 
in improving a situation. 
Intervention, the creation of new systems as well 
as the change of existing systems, is based on 
continuing analysis.
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Clinical Sociologists
Clinical sociologists have different areas of 
expertise—such as health promotion, sustainable 
communities, social conflict, or cultural 
competence—and work in many capacities.
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Clinical Sociologists Examples
Example, community organizers, sociotherapists, 
mediators, focus group facilitators, social policy 
implementers, action researchers, and 
administrators.
Many clinical sociologists are full-time or part-time 
university professors, and these clinical 
sociologists undertake intervention work in 
addition to their teaching and research.
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Role of Clinical Sociologists
The role of the clinical sociologist can be at one or 
more levels of focus from the individual to the 
intersocietal. 
Even though the clinical sociologist specializes in 
one or two levels of intervention (e.g., marriage 
counseling, community consulting), the 
practitioner will move among a number of levels 
(e.g., individual, organization, community) in order 
to analyze or intervene or both.
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HISTORY
When sociology emerged as a discipline in the 
1890s, the nation was struggling with issues of 
democracy and social justice. 
There was rural and urban poverty, women were 
still without the vote, and there were lynchings.
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Emphasizes hands-on 
intervention
Clinical sociology emphasizes hands-on 
intervention while applied sociology emphasizes 
research for practical purposes. Both specialties 
require different kinds of specialized training.
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Practical Sociology
The practical sociology of the l890s and early 
1900s is now referred to as sociological practice. 
This general term sociological practice involves 
two areas, clinical sociology and applied sociology.
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INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
Clinical sociologists use existing theory to 
formulate models that will be helpful in identifying 
and understanding problems and also to identify 
strategies to reduce or solve these problems. 
Clinical sociologists also have shown that practice 
can have an influence on existing theories and 
help in the development of new ones.
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THANK YOU