Sociology and its perspectives

Sociology and its perspectives

Sociology is that part of social sciences that studies how humans behave in groups. Sociological perspectives are the outlooks on how individuals’ behavior connects to that of society as a whole. These perspectives include conflict, functionality, and symbolic interaction. They offer a theoretical explanation of how human beings and society influence each other.

Uses of sociology

Sociology helps us to understand our understanding of society. Once we correctly understand how a community works, we can increase our power of action in society. This understanding, in return, helps in promoting a productive social lifestyle.

Sociology also helps to enlighten our understanding of how human beings behave. It gives insight into human motives and aspirations, culture, occupation, and status. This knowledge, in return, helps us to understand and appreciate other people, even their existence and character differ from ours.

Through the sociological study on the roles of social institutions on human development, we are to suggest ideas that would help to re-strength a human being to make them better individuals

The nature vs. nurture debate.

In social sciences, the nature vs. nurture debate means argument on whether a person’s character and personality traits affect how they behave. nature means the inborn characters and composition of a person, whereas nurture is the environmental influence on a human being. This debate was created as a way to explain why human beings behave how they behave, what is the driving force behind human actions in a social setting?

Functional theory

This theory was created by Herbert spencer (1820-1903). The contemporary functionality theory views the society as large organisms which have interlinked parts for the benefit of the community as a whole. Social institutions satisfy the various needs of human beings. The social institutions interrelate with individuals. Individuals action too contribute to the development of social institutions.The functional theory is a macro-level theory explaining how institutions function. (THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY ppt 1-10)

Example of functionalism theory

In a healthy society, the government creates a free education policy. The government educates children. With education, the children secure employment. The government then taxes the wages these children make and use it to help the society by bringing developments. The children help and support their parents using their wage.in this scenario, the social institutions ensure that human beings benefit from the services they render.

Conflict theory

This theory was created by Karl Max (1818-1883) and Frederich Engels (1820-1985). Conflict theory explains that due to limited resources, the society will always be at conflict to distribute these resources to provide essential basic needs for each individual. This is also a macro-level theory explaining conflicts in institutions. (THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY ppt 11-32). Deep studies come up with methods in which resource distribution balances and conflict management is enhanced.

Slavery.

Example of conflict theory

In the current criminal justice system, celebrities and politicians suffer less punishment. However, an ordinary person is subject to a weighty punishment for any little mistakes they commit. The ordinary person is always at row with the judicial systems due to the existing weight of injustice.

Symbolic interactionism theory.

Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929) developed this theory. It explains how our interactions with each other unfold our real being. For self-development, human nature defines his appearance, personalities, and traits. He then uses the reaction of other people to visualize himself. The interactions with significant others develop our self-concepts by how we interpret these interactions. This theory is a micro theory concerned with interactions between individuals. (THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY ppt 33-38)

Example of symbolic interactionism theory

The American flag was originally a symbol of America’s pride. Over the years, this has changed to a symbol of disenfranchisement and oppression.

What is a demographic variable?

A demographic variable is an individual trait that you can use to place a person in a social category. Such a variable is age, ethnicity, race, and social class.

Racism

A race is a group of people having distinct characters genetically transmitted physical traits such as color or type of hair.

Consequences of racism.

Social Darwinism. The superior individual survives. The wrongdoers or the defective members of the society-the black people faced torture, slavery, and corporal punishment.

Eugenics. Eugenics is a forced natural selection. The society gets rid of the individuals it considers to be weaklings. There was usually forced sterilization of wring doers as a punishment to put an end to the members of the society having defective traits.

Stereotype. Stereotype is the assumption that all people behave as you do, and as a result, they ignore them. People assume that a person from a different race will automatically blend in with them. As a result, they don’t bother introducing these races into their lifestyle.

Prejudice. Prejudice is treating people with bias due to differences in ethnicity or race. The white people are biased against the black people in key decision making ,and in the African’s opinions.the superior race finds errors in anything the inferior race  does.

Discrimination. The weak race is not promised in crucial decision making and in receiving social services. (SOC101RACEppt5,15-20).

Social class

Social class can also be called social stratification, and it is the ranking of people into levels based on their educational standards, occupation, wealth, gender, or even religion.

Consequences of social classes. (SOC101 SOCIAL DRATIFICATION ppt 1-5)

Slavery. The low-class people end up in bondage to pay debts to their masters since they cannot afford to pay back in cash. As a result, they are mistreated and oppressed since their masters possess them.

Impact on health. The higher-income-earning individuals afford quality health services, unlike the low income earning counterparts. As a result of these differences in social class, the poorer people are susceptible to diseases and easily succumb since they cannot afford seeking quality treatment.

Impact on justice. In most countries, rich people can buy justice and end up alienated by the law. Even though celebrities commit heinous crimes, these crimes are overlooked. A politician arrested on ground of corruption or murder isreleased on a very small cashbail, and he retains his position of power despite his lack of integrity.On the other hand, the poor people are greatly punished for a mistake, however minimal they are. It’s not a wonder when police arrest a poor parent who steals a neighbor’s chicken to feed his children ,and arraign him in court. The judge sentences him for years without caring about how insignificant his mistake is.

Impact on education. The rich people have capabilities to learn in institutions offering better quality education whereas poor people can only study in incompetent schools. As a result, the rich people’s kids acquire competence and get skilled to fit in the job market. The poorer people’s kids lack priveledge to get high quality education, so they face a challenge in seizing job opportunities.

References

SOC101RACEppt

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY ppt

SOC102CHP UPDATED ONLINE ppt

SOC101 SOCIAL DRATIFICATION ppt