Читать книгу Sociology - Anthony Giddens - Страница 102

Skocpol’s study has become a modern classic for two reasons. First, it developed a powerful causal explanation of revolutionary change which emphasized the underlying social structural conditions of revolution. Such a strong central thesis was, nevertheless, underpinned by very detailed analysis of primary and secondary documentary sources. Hence, Skocpol successfully demonstrated that comparative-historical sociology could combine the study of large-scale, long-term social change with the empirical investigation of historical events ‘on the ground’. In essence, she brought together the macro- and microsociological aspects into one theoretical framework. Second, Skocpol made a very significant contribution to our understanding of revolutions. She showed that there are enough similarities across different revolutions to warrant pursuing general theories of social change. In this way, her thesis helped to bridge the gap between mainstream historical studies and the sociology of revolutions.

For some, visual sociology has the potential to enhance and expand sociological work in every specialist field, all of which involve some forms of visual data and sources of evidence. As Pauwels (2015: 5) puts it: ‘the ultimate goal of a visual social science might lie beyond the (mere) ambition to become a well-established and legitimate way of doing social research, by striving to change social scientists’ ways of looking at and thinking about society in a more profound way.’ In time, sociologists may well become experts in the collection and use of existing visual data, producing their own visual materials and communicating their findings in more visual ways.