Main trends of research in the social and human ... - unesdoc - Unesco

582 Pierre de Bie
there is also the question of awareness; although, as a result of a falling birth-
rate and successful efforts to reduce the death-rate, especially in the earliest years
of life, the aging of populations has for several decades been a feature of the
foreseeable demographic structures in industrialized contries, these countries
have only tardily awakened to an awareness of the phenomenon and succeeded
in diagnosing it correctly. And it is only since the consequences have made them-
selves felt - in an increase in the number of the aged - that inquiries have begun
to be made into their causes." This awareness has been belated and groping.
The history of social policy and organized action in this regard shows how far
an imperfect awareness of the needs may result in an imperfect organization of
the appropriate remedies.
Obviously, awareness does not in itself suffice, or it may fall short of what is
necessary. The case of research in rural sociology offers a striking example: there
is a marked contrast between the need felt for research in this field and the
situation of that research. In more than twenty European countries there is a
growing realization of the part which social research in rural areas might play,
both now and especially in the future; in addition to research workers, this
awareness is becoming increasingly marked among administrators and politi-
cians. The range of problems to be studied is vast, and several of them are
fundamental, as, for example, the problem of the integration of agriculture in
the modern economy, the structure and function of rural areas in an industrial
society, or the problem of social and economic development. Rural areas pro-
vide, in fact, a fascinating laboratory for the study of social change. Yet there is
a striking discrepancy between the multiplicity and importance of the tasks to
be accomplished and the small number of experts available - a situation which
is connected with the absence or inadequacy of facilities for training and re-
search. The Netherlands is the one exception.'
Having considered the question, let us now turn to the second term: what are
the characteristics of the answer?
The main point is clearly the content of the research. Needless to say, the
research must be objective and conducted in accordance with scientific rules.
But surely there should be some equation between the answer and the question.
In other words, surely research should be relevant.
The immediate reaction is to answer 'yes', It is desirable, however, to distin-
guish here between subjective relevance and objective relevance. Subjective
relevance ensues from the research worker's intention to carry out a research
project that is responsive to an objective social need; on the basis of the incom-
petence or inadequacy of this response, the value, but not the nature, of such
research may be judged. On the other hand, if the research represents an entirely
adequate response to the social problem in hand, there is objective relevance;
on this occasion, objective and subjective relevance coincide. In both these
cases the research is problem-focused in character.
However in the case where a research project contains the elements for the
solution of a social problem for which it was not devised, there is only objective
relevance. The value of that research for the study of the problem in question
does not ipso facto change its nature; having been focused neither in its con-