The basics: From concepts to models

Clinical sociology is a humanistic and creative specialization that seeks to improve the quality of people's lives. Clinical sociologists bring contributions from two or more disciplines (frequently sociology and psychology) to their work and incorporate knowledge and experiences from the areas of practice (e.g., health, criminal processing system, community development, organizational analysis, human rights) in assisting with or undertaking an intervention process. This chapter presents some of the basics of the analysis and intervention that is clinical sociology-the concepts, ideas about intervention, theory, diagrams, and models. Concepts (important terms), diagrams (simple visual representations), and models (explanations or visualizations of how practitioners should function) help us define our field and can serve as a baseline for discussions regarding intervention. The concepts, diagrams, and models discussed here were influenced by those found in the literature and some were developed, in part, based on the work of the contributors to this volume. These basics provide a useful starting point for readers interested in intervention by/for/with the dreamers, plodders, survivors, and activists who live among us.