The aim of this paper is to provide an outline of the clinical sociology ofeducation, with the aim of solving educational problems and to think about theeffectiveness of “elonging” for problems involving children. The author takesup children's problems as one example of educational problems, from theviewpoint of the clinical sociology of education.
In recent years, many difficult educational problems have arisen, and thesociology of education needs to carry out useful studies for solving these problem.Consequently, the clinical sociology of education has attracted the attentionof many researchers. This is because it aims to actually solve educationalproblems in a different from the sociology of education, which aims to acquirescientific knowledge. The sociology of education focuses on science, while theclinical sociology of education places weight on practice. Therefore researchfrom the perspective of the clinical sociology of education should be useful forsolving actual educational problems.
The defining characteristic of the methodology of the clinical sociology ofeducation is intervention in actual educational problems. It attempts to solveactual educational problems through interventions. Therefore, the author arguesthat it is necessary to limit the object of the clinical sociology of education tofields where the scientist and practitioner can actually intervene. In other words, the field of the clinical sociology of education should be limited to the dimensionsof interpersonal relations and groups. This means that the clinical sociology ofeducation takes the individual in social context as the unit of analysis.
There are various patterns of problem behavior among children. Whateverform it takes, however, negative self-definition is a common feature. Therefore, such children always suffer from undefined anxieties about themselves. Childrenadopt problem behavior as means to escape from these anxieties. Children mustredefine themselves in order to overcome such problem behavior. The negativeself-definition of the child is changed into an active, affirmative one. That is theintervention of the researcher and practitioner.
Here, it is “belonging” that prompts the beginning of the child's self redefinition. “Belonging” means a gathering of similar children. Therefore, itindicates a place where the child can feel at ease, relaxed, free and can becomecalm. Therefore, (1) “belonging” acts as a self-help group and (2) “belonging” refers to a place where children can speak freely. Therefore, it is a clinical placewhere the researcher and practitioner can actually intervene. Children redefinethemselves in the place where they belong, and can experience selfreconfirmationand rediscovery.
This self-redefinition is the solution to children's problems, and it is the goalof the clinical sociology of education.
