Social diagnostics is the study and analysis of the state of social phenomena and objects in order to identify the essence of social problems that relate to a given object or phenomenon. The purpose of social diagnostics is to obtain accurate data about the object of study or social phenomenon, including medical characteristics. Methods of social diagnostics include: conducting a diagnostic study and analysis of the collected information and determining the importance of problems.
Diagnostic research
At the beginning of any research, information about the object of research is collected, familiarization with the documentation, certificates, reports, statistical data are studied, regulatory documentation on the issue of diagnostics is studied, personal files are considered. The next stage of social diagnostics is conversations, in which basic and additional information on research issues is clarified, certain points are clarified. When composing questions for a conversation, a social work specialist takes into account the experience and practice of conducting such research, as well as other situational features.
A special diagnostic method is observation. By means of this method, you can get additional information that could not be found out during the conversation, psychological characteristics, facial expressions, gestures, emotional reaction to this or that situation, attention is drawn to how the object reacts to difficulties, comments, requirements, how it changes mood. The method of expert assessment includes interviews, questionnaires and testing, allows you to obtain additional information about the object of diagnosis. The interview can be free and formalized. In the first case, the specialist sometimes asks questions to the interviewee, in contrast to the second method, where he is active, constantly asking questions to which the interviewee answers.
Questionnaire
The questions in the questionnaire should be formulated simply and briefly, arranged in a logical order to facilitate information processing. Individual, group, verbal, non-verbal, as well as general and social testing methods are widely used. Testing includes a test questionnaire with well-thought-out questions, the answers to which make it possible to judge the psychological qualities of the test taker. Test - a task, this is a task that assesses the degree of development of the tested person
Analysis of the collected information
On the basis of the information collected, the specialist analyzes the problems and factors that could cause the problem, the influence of factors, comparison of information, etc. Analysis of data collected in various ways begins with classification. Classification criteria: age, gender, marital status, social status, etc. These classification criteria are used to diagnose the problems of youth, unemployment, health, economic development, social policy and others. The collected information is analyzed by several methods. The correlation method reveals the mutual connection, the mutual influence of factors, features that were identified in the diagnostic process, and identifies conflict situations.
Experts use the method of comparative analysis of problems in order to find out the causes of any phenomena discovered in the course of social diagnostics. Expert methods of research analysis involve the involvement of a wide range of specialists, including analysts, for example, to determine the level of mental health of children, psychotherapists and psychologists are involved as experts. The method of paired and multiple comparisons, ranking alternatives is used to analyze any pair of alternative solutions, which are then ranked according to the degree of importance. At the end of the analysis, it is very important for specialists to interpret the data collected during the diagnostic study, taking into account the individuality of the research object and the designation of the problems identified during the diagnosis and analysis.
