Lets go back to what is
society
Society is a group of
people who shape their
lives in aggregated and
patterned ways that
distinguish their group
from other groups.
People
in
general
thought of as living
together in organized
communities with shared
laws,
traditions,
and
value
CULTURE
The
set
of
learned
behaviours,
beliefs,
attitudes, values, and ideals
that are characteristics of a
particular
society
or
population ( Ember,1999).
WHAT IS
The social science discipline that
looks at the development and
structure of human society and
how it works (transition in
society).
The study of social life, social
change, and the social causes
and consequences of human
behavior.
Sociology subject matter
Sociologists investigate the structure of
groups, organizations, and societies, and
how people interact within these contexts.
All human behavior is social so the subject
matter of sociology ranges from the
intimate family to the hostile mob; from
organized crime to religious cults; from the
divisions of race, gender and social class
to the shared beliefs of a common culture;
and from the sociology of work to the
sociology of sports.
The Roles we play
We all play certain roles in our society
Social Scientists refer to this as status.
Status is the term used to describe our
position within an institution.
eg. La Salle University, IS There are
many positions at LSU-IS ranging from
teacher, vice-principal, guidance
counselor, principal, student and
administrator Can you put them in
order on the hierarchy?
HIERARCHY
Hierarchy is the ranking system used in any
particular environment based on authority
or power.
Each position or role requires a certain type
of expertise which is valued by society.
In order to distinguish between these roles
people are expected to dress and act in a
certain way.
On any given day we can play many
different roles in society eg. A parent can
drive their kids to school and then go to
work and teach their students.
Areas of Sociology
1. Social Organization
- this area covers the study of the
various social institutions, social
groups, social stratification, social
mobility, bureaucracy, ethnic groups
and relations, and other similar
subjects. Topics like the family,
education, politics, religion, economy
are studied in this area.
2. Social Psychology
- This area deals with the study of
human nature as an outcome of
group life, social attitudes, collective
behavior, and personality formation.
It deals with group life and the
individuals traits, attitudes, beliefs
as influenced by group life. It views
man with reference to group life.
3. Social Change and
social disorganization
- This area includes the study of the
change in culture and social relations
and the disruption that may occur in
society. It deals with the study of
such current social problems in
society as juvenile delinquency,
criminality, drug addiction, family
conflicts, divorce, population
problems, and other similar subjects.
4. Human Ecology
- This study the nature and behavior
of a given population and its
relationships to the groups present
social institutions. For instance,
studies of this kind have shown the
prevalence of mental illness,
criminality, delinquencies, prostitution,
and drug addiction in urban centers
and other highly developed places.
5. Population or
demography
-
This is concerned with the
study of population
number, composition,
change, and quality as they
influence the economic,
political, and social system.
6. Sociological Theory
and method
- This is concerned with applicability
and usefulness of the principles and
theories of group life as bases for
the regulation of mans social
environment. This includes theory
building and testing as bases for the
prediction and control of mans and
control of mans social environment.
7. Applied Sociology
- This area utilizes the findings of
pure sociological research in various
fields such as criminology, social
work, community development,
education, industrial relations,
marriage, ethnic relations, family
counseling, and other aspects and
problems of daily life.
SOCIOLOGICAL
Relevance of Sociology
a. This study will make us
understand better why people of
different groups and culture
behave the way they do. Through
this understanding, we may be
able to adjust ourselves to their
peculiar ways and patterns.
b. It will give us an insight
that our group is different
from others. Through this,
we may be led to respect
the identity and unique
nature of other groups and
members of such groups.
Sociological
Theories
Functionalism
Conflict Theory
Symbolic
Interactionism
Sociological Theories
In sociology, sociological theories are
statements of how and why particular facts
about the social world are related. They range
in scope from concise descriptions of a single
social process to paradigms for analysis and
interpretation. Some sociological theories
explain aspects of the social world and
enable prediction about future events, while
others function as broad perspectives which
guide further sociological analyses.
Functionalism
A broad historical paradigm in both
sociology and anthropology,
functionalism addresses the social
structure as a whole and in terms of the
necessary function of its constituent
elements. A common analogy
(popularized by Herbert Spencer) is to
regard norms and institutions as 'organs'
that work toward the proper-functioning
of the entire 'body' of society.
Conflict Theory
Social conflict is the struggle between
segments
of
society
over
valued
resources.
Conflict theories draw attention to power
differentials, such as class, gender and
race conflict, and contrast historically
dominant ideologies. It is therefore a
macro level analysis of society that sees
society as an arena of inequality that
generates conflict and social change.
Symbolic Interactionism
The approach focuses on creating a framework
for building a theory that sees society as the
product of the everyday interactions of
individuals. Society is nothing more than the
shared reality that people construct as they
interact with one another. This approach sees
people interacting in countless settings using
symbolic communications to accomplish the
tasks at hand. Therefore, society is a complex,
ever-changing mosaic of subjective meanings.