Strong and Weak Intervention

Abstract

The most important mission of sociology is perhaps to push forward the production of society. Sociologists should not only in its theory, but also in its practice, help resist the pressure from the state and the market, on the one hand, and assist society to emerge and grow, on the other. In facing the problem of the production of society, sociologists must strive for a transition from a sociology of structure to a sociology of action. Faced with a society in which development is unbalanced, we might divide sociological intervention into two types: strong and weak strategies. By incorporating the notions of `public sociology' and `liberation sociology', we have gone beyond Touraine's school in several aspects. Our most important task from now on is to combine social practice and social knowledge effectively.