Sociology Class - What I Learned From It

"A Society in my own terms is a basic part of a community; a unit or a group of people that are like-minded with regard to their goals and standards in life."

Before my first Sociology class started a few months ago, I really don't have any idea what it was about. For some reasons, the closest memory I can relate to it was my Civic and Culture subject during my high school days a long time ago, which was more about Filipino heritage; our roots and practices in the past. I was like a blind man walking into a movie house.

Sociology came to me like a foreign language; if you try to look at it verbatim, you can't understand it. If you try to generalize it and define it by phrase or as a whole, the more you will get confused. Technically, you can't digest what Sociology really means unless you see yourself first as a part of a society, and this would lead to a dissection of your inner being to reveal the many different parts of who you really are, and the role that they play in your community. A partial process of self-actualization is needed before you try to understand and judge the things that are happening around you. Once you are able to establish a stable understanding of your identity; then that would be the time that you can start applying different approaches in making a sociological meaning of the reality that surrounds you.

Sociology Class - What I Learned From It

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Matthew 7:3

So basically, my Sociology class was an eye-opener. It got me to stop being a useless matter that wanders in the air with no point of existence. As I look at the things around me using different sociological lenses; I come to realize that life is not just being successful; rather it is about the paths that we choose to live about, and how we are able to affect the world we live in. It made me think that I am in the wrong path and I am doing nothing but being merry-unproductively. It also made me realize how lucky I am in contrast to the lives of the unfortunate that are trapped at the basement of the social class; those people who were never given any chance to get a quality life. There are even other people who never had a slight of an idea that they do have the right to live. Such a pitiful world, and we're just standing afar feeling sorry, and doing nothing.

Sociology taught me to look at the world on a different perspective.

It showed me the world in different colours, where in each value of hue has its own meaning, which contains deep jargons pertaining to the irregular social stratification. As reality bites, I can see the world full of bright angry colours that represents deception, corruption, poverty, inequality, violence, sickness, blood and death. Such freedom from social blindness is never appealing, yet I can say that it's worth every second; than rather being a deceived fool in the darkness. It is indeed a ruthless criticism of everything existing, yet such criticism is what we need to spark a change.

Sociology Class - What I Learned From It
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A Look into Sociology

Sociology is an intricate study of humankind on many forms. Whether it be focused on the individual, the family, or a city, sociology takes an in depth look at humanity itself and analyzes it from many different angles. These are just a few examples of how sociology can analyze the subject. This article will examine six significant factors and give a better look on sociology itself.

First there are general basics. Sociology has its roots in the Enlightenment. With the want for more information, more understanding of the world, man started to focus on the very thing he created himself: society. Humankind began to analyze everything and anything that they could. It wasn't surprising when they started to really analyze themselves. This, in a way, is what sociology is. Sociology is the study of human behavior, from its origins to its evolutions. It is the analysis of the development of mankind.

With the increase in human development, there became a higher variety of human-life. It changed form as it moved across the world, from rural to urban, from one religion to another, from one race to another. This is why sociology is important to the world. It breaks down all the information and reorganizes it most effectively.

A Look into Sociology

Sociology is a science like many others, though it is quite different in the same way. Closest to it might be psychology, though different on many levels. What makes sociology an unique science is its focus on humanity. Though seemingly easy at first, after a good look one can recognize the complex behavior of mankind that has evolved over thousands of years from having a society. This makes sociology important both to the present and the future, for it takes what has happened in the past and present and uses the information effectively in understanding groups, individuals, and society itself.

Like a science, there are many different ways one can study and record this information. Surveys are one of the major ones. There are also observational studies and experiments. Sociological experiments can be like other scientific ones, with variables for scientific research, but lots of the times the answers aren't so simple. It takes a good eye and mind to analyze the data, making sociology a more delicate process in the long run.

The second item to focus on is culture. Culture is the grouping of specific mindsets that have developed over time in certain parts of the world, allowing any scientist or onlooker to realize general differences between groups and make general recognitions this way. Thus said, it is an important factor to take into account when dealing with sociological information. There are so many different cultures in the world that they act like variables in giant analytic experiments for the sociologist.

Culture can be broken down into many different aspects or parts. One important one to note is language. Language both creates barriers and brings worlds together. Different languages cause speed bumps in scientific or any form of study throughout the world. It is but one way people can be so different from each other. But the very act of language, or the development of it both psychologically and historically have a strong impact on sociology. It brings insight further into the culture of the people being studying and allows the sociologist more key and individual information. Almost like religion and politics, language has a unique way of developing that reflects both on the culture and history of those that use it, finding its roots being mixed and interwoven like many of the people who make use of it.

A third important item to focus on is the social structure. The social structure is the creation of different levels in society throughout the world to better define and understand how society itself works. It is not man made in that people can decide how many layers there are to society or the different reactions between different levels. It is an evolution of society itself, changing from culture to culture or place to place.

Social structure can be broken down into looking at society as having different statuses and different roles. Individuals are not all equal as much as humankind would like to think it sometime. Through hard work, misfortune, or pure luck people find themselves on different levels of society compared to the person standing next to them or even the person they were a month, week, or day ago. Status can be looked at as the person's worth through society's eyes. People tend to use this as the way to judge others quickly. Though not necessarily negative in that there are different statuses, it has for the most part been associated with a negative, almost snooty view when used to analyze others. Role is much deeper, though, and can defy status in many different ways. While status can be looked at as almost just a term or some physical measurement of humans in society, the role is a much deeper, more personal experience. This is to say that it is not so clear what everyone's role is on first glance. Through careful study and critiquing, one could evaluate another or a whole group and come to a logical assumption or even answer to what their role is, but for the most part it is more of a show and tell kind of deal. It is not evident always, nor is the level of evidence equal from one to another. Simply, it is the bond that an individual has with society, telling their purpose on how they hold the society together.

A good part of culture, sociology, and society are groups. Not everything is on the individual level. The size of the group affects the effectiveness of productivity. Too small of a group might lead to too many unanswered questions, while too large could grow so complex that many overlooked factors have been uncounted for. The perfect size, this balance between small and large, between answerable and countable, is not clear. It is dependent on the answers and topic that is being questioned at the time. One might need a large group to make references about a whole city, province or even country. On the other hand, a smaller group might give better information about a specific area or classing or even status in a certain place or time.

These groups could be societies themselves. Societies are merely just humans grouped by distinguishable differences in culture, mind, history, relationship, and teachings. It appears to be a complicated system of organization, but it is no different in culture, religion, or role/status in its way of defining and dedicating answers to truth. It can be used to find common grounds and further separate viewpoints and information from larger groupings. Societies are very important groups of people, both to the real world and to sociology.

The fourth important item is socialization. Socialization is the way of converting or forming into the very definitions of society. This is a great way to show how humans differentiate from other animals. The complexity of our societies and groups is what defines us as humans, accounted with our rationality of course. Our interaction with each other is at a much more vital and intricate level. We go beyond the instinctive world and step into rationality. This is what makes our forms of communication, our languages, our social behaviors the way they are. This is what makes us so easily adaptable in the world. We are so heavily reliant on some form of socialization, that to think of world without it would mean thinking of a world without humans. Without it there would be no structure, no balance, nor order to our ways. We would be almost like primitive homo sapiens and other ancient races of man, only worse because we would be going from socialization and not towards it.

The fifth major factor in sociology is race and ethnicity. Like culture and religion, race can play an important role to a society and its social structure. A certain race can bring benefits to itself in one place while another can be discriminated against with equality. Even still, one race can experience both extremes throughout the world and even in the same proximity. Races, ethnicities and groups can be broken down into majority and minority. This is like most social classing. Majority refers to the more populace or the ones that have the most power in that given area. Minority is just in the opposite, referring to the weaker of the two either size/numbers or politics/power.

It is important to note the difference between race and ethnicity here. Race refers to the grouping of people through biological similarities and histories while ethnicity is created from both racial and cultural ties, making it not necessarily inherit in that it's physically in a person's blood, but inherit in that it is so tightly woven to the history of the person and his/her people that it has been a kind of grouping. Though there are some that will deny races exist at all, scientists have generally agreed on there being only three races. Humans in general assume or at least say there are many more, confusing both races and ethnicity with each other and other groups. By the common human's understanding of the word race, it is so misunderstood that it has no biological reference whatsoever. But on scientific terms, race would require an evolutionary viewpoint to accept it as been true.

The sixth item and factor is gender. Gender plays an important part in sociology like any of the humane sciences. There is a definite difference between man and woman. This is the case both physically and mentally (though in some instances the two are interrelated by definition in psychology). Sex is the more scientific look upon the situation, while gender is the social. While both imply the two different forms of sexual creatures, male and female, the word sex tends to just refer to this while gender also implies the identity created by this distinction in both society and cultures.

There are numerous other factors to sociology, but these are six of the most important and first focused on when researching across the world. In truth, the structure of society, of mankind and all things it has created, is a complex and delicate one. Each piece is carefully placed, woven, tied and held there by another. So tight they are that if one falls it is hard to tell how many will follow suit. Just as much as we can not say what event will move us in the next direction, we can not know what event will slow us down, stop us, or even be our downfall. Sociology can only understand the here and now.

A Look into Sociology
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The Teaching of Sociology

I believe that there is a good case for the teaching of every social science. In particular I support the call for the teaching of sociology to all students in Grade 12 and above. At least one year of study will provide students with the knowledge and skills that will contribute toward their social and academic development. However, it can be offered as an elective to all others who wished to pursue it at a higher level of study. In some countries sociology is taught to students who are 16 and over on a voluntarily basis. I think it is much too important to be treated in this manner.

The Nature of Sociology

Sociology has been defined as many things. In its embryonic stages its founder Comte (1798-1857) thought it to be a natural science no different from biology, chemistry or physics. He believed that it was possible to predict human behavior and so control it in much the same way natural scientists controlled matter. Later on Emile Durkheim (1858-1917), another French sociologist, pioneered the use of statistical analysis in the study of suicide, a social phenomenon. Durkheim argued that in this way it was possible to determine the causal and correlation (al) relationships that exist between and among social variables. These he called 'social facts.' Suicide and marriage are examples of social facts because they have an existence outside the individual and their rates can be quantified so that their impact on human behavior can be ascertained via the use of inductive approaches.

The Teaching of Sociology

Sometime later in Germany Max Weber (1964-1920) launched a scathing counter attack against the use of statistics in the study of human behavior. He claimed that the true goal of sociology is verstehen-interpretive understanding of the procedures people use to understand others during their interactions with them. In this way he provided the impetus for the development of the hermeneutic approach in sociology which proposed that the discipline was rather a social science aimed at understanding how behavior was understood using direct and indirect observation of social phenomena. Many others such as George Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer and Alfred Schutz have followed Weber's lead and have promulgated the belief that interpretive approaches and perspectives such as Symbolic Interactionism and Phenomenology.

During the 1950s a group of French philosophers (postmodernists) embarked upon a severe critique of meta- cognition or the thinking of generalizability. This has been the general or overarching principle of both the natural and social science dogmas. The main similarity between them is the proclivity to generalize about the nature and direction of human behavior. This has influenced the writings of others such as Lyotard and de Baudrillard whose works have been applied to the study of sociology. They have argued that in contemporary times (especially since WWII) perspectives such as Marxism have become irrelevant to our understanding of social life. For them life has become centered round signs and symbols. Material goods only become important in so far as they convey specific meanings- signs and symbols. Language is ever more important since it is oft times used to perpetuate a duality. For example the sexual power duality is reproduced in society through language. Because of the verbal portrayal of differences in power between men and women, women are perceived as evil and bad and men as good and rational and this acts as a form of legitimization of sexual politics.

As a direct consequent of these three major debates about the nature of sociology it is extremely difficult to define sociology with any degree of certainty. We know more about what it is not rather than what it in actuality is. Despite this though there is an informal consensus of sorts among its adherents purporting that sociology is a social science in much the same way that psychology, anthropology, economics and political science are.

I have even noted that not much is taking place in changing the face of sociology. It has become stagnated not merely because of the centrality of classical themes such as the role of the bourgeoisie in modern capitalism and the social factors contributing to structured inequality.

Additionally not much has taken place by way of creative innovations in methodological, theoretical and practical shifts or focuses. Despite this drawback though the discipline retains much relevance to social life and should be taught formally in all schools at least from Grade 12.

Some Benefits of Teaching Sociology

These are based on my experience in teaching sociology at advanced level (Grade 13 and higher) for over 10 years in the island of Trinidad.

It facilitates the all round development of the learner (providing ample opportunity for cognitive, affective and psychomotor development). Students learn analytical skills which help them appreciate the nature of social structure and individual interaction both between and within societies (most importantly theirs)

An example of this is de-constructing or analyzing issues or problems

By practicing essay writing they (students) learn to organize and structure ideas logically (sequentially and chronologically if necessary). This is significant for building synthesis and critical thinking skills. Skills of note-taking and note-making are enhanced. However, those of the latter should be emphasized since they allow for the development of student autonomy. Students are allowed the opportunity to plan (for writing) and engage in abstract problem solving skills and competencies. Twentieth-first century skills such as cooperation, team-work and project management can be and are developed and enhanced. It provides opportunity for the enhancement of communicative competence since students participate in debates and discussion about research studies, theories and perspectives. Students are impelled to become more culturally relative and less ethnocentric since they come to appreciate that culture cannot and should not be judged in relation to another. It meets the needs of a particular society or subgroup. It teaches them about the nature and causes and consequences of different forms of inequality such as sex and gender, race/ethnicity, social class and age. Additionally, they learn to become empathetic about marginalized groups and individuals. Students develop citizenship values and attitudes, and decision-making. This helps them to function effectively as members of democratic societies. It allows for the appreciation of diversity in the presentation of 'social reality' so that they come to perceive the differences between universal and culturally specific features of social life. It provides opportunity to view knowledge in a holistic way since sociology is so multi-disciplinary as is social work for instance.

Some Suggestions for the Effective Teaching of Sociology

Use students' experience to help them connect the theories to real world or life experiences. Use a combination of teacher-centered and student-centered approaches. Teacher-centered methods such as lecturing and note-giving are better to use for introducing topics, concepts and issues before deep understanding is developed via the use of child-centered methods such as projects, group work and field work. Use a variety of resources in the same lesson. Pictures, diagrams and audio material are excellent. Use cooperative learning strategies such as jig-saw to deepen student understanding and develop team work and shared responsibility. Provide opportunity for problem-based learning in which students will solve real world issues through the collection of empirical data and analysis of findings from research. Use the lecture method wisely. Do not talk for more than 15 minutes at any one time. Allow lectures to be interrupted by student activity since they like getting involved and having a say. Employ a variety of assessment techniques in your practice such as portfolios, graphic organizers, poetry and song and role-plays. Provide plenty of opportunity for the analysis of statistical data and report findings via graphs, tables, pictures etc. Plan and provide for student participation in activities where students will simulate qualitative data collection techniques such as in-depth interviewing and systematic participant observation. Provide greater opportunity for student dialogue and always provide constructive feedback. Examine the best ways of helping students grow mentally, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Invite guest speaker experts to shed light on diverse issues related to the content and everyday life. Make a written plan of the activities for each lesson and change them only if necessary. Use test and exam results to diagnose performance and provide accurate measurement of student performance. Test only what was taught in terms of content and skills. Practice chunking the content by breaking up large amounts into smaller manageable units in accordance to students' age and maturity levels. Ensure students participate in rubric and mark scheme design. This will assist them to understand the standards and benchmarks for academic excellence. Cater for a variety of learning styles in your lessons. Knowledge of the differentiated classroom is an asset to good teaching. Be firm but flexible. Always move from the known to the unknown. Emphasise should be placed on effective concept teaching.

I proffer the suggestion that students should be exposed to an introductory course in the sociology since it will assist them in developing a variety of skills, talents and competences which are critical for life in a modern society.

This article sought to provide some useful guidance for teachers of sociology at any level of academia. It began with summation of the three major polemics in the nature of sociology namely positivist, interpretivist and postmodern. Following this it provided a rationale for its inclusion in the high school or college curriculum and ended by examining some guidelines or useful tips for teaching sociology

The Teaching of Sociology
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Bennie Berkeley has attained PhD in sociology with high commendation from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. At present he lectures in sociology courses namely Introduction to Sociology and Caribbean Social Structure. Additionally, he conducts methodology seminars for graduate students about to embark upon their research projects in social work and sociology. He supervises a number of students from a cross section of the social sciences including sociology (criminology), social work and mediation studies.

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An Introduction to the Theoretical Perspectives of Sociology

Sociologists have covered a broad amount of material in their accumulated studies. Some, like Karl Marx, studied broad topics related to the whole of societies. He theorized that the root of human misery lies in the uneven distribution of wealth in society. Others, like Emile Durkheim, focused on more concise topics. He concentrated much of his effort on determining why certain sects of people are more apt to commit suicide than others. Still others, like Max Weber, studied patterns in culture throughout history to determine how much a social group can affect one's life. Though many sociologists study different topics, all use their recorded data to produce theories. These theories suggest how certain parts of the world fit together and how they work. If you break theories down further, you can sort them into three distinct categories: symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. All three can use different observations to prove the same point.

Firstly, symbolic interactionism. This theory initially stated that one evaluates himself based on the conduct of others. As years went on, symbolic interactionism also showed that people use symbols to encapsulate their experiences. Symbolic interaction is generally conducted at the Microsociological level. That is - it examines small scale patterns of social interaction. For example. If you think of a family member as an aunt or an uncle, you will behave in a certain way. If the person is a best friend, you will carry yourself quite differently. Without symbolic interaction, we would have no way to define relationships, and we would be reduced to a level of animal interaction. In short, symbolic interactionists analyze how our behaviors depend on the ways we define ourselves and others.

Anthropology Sociology

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Functional analysis basically states that society is a whole made up of independent parts that work together. A sociologist that was mentioned earlier in the paper, Emile Durkheim, was one of the most prominent sociologists associated with this view. His work noted that, although the whole of society works together, individual sects of people can be more likely to do certain things than others. Most notable of all his studies is likely his work done on finding social factors that may contribute to the likelihood of a person committing suicide. He observed that how strong or weak social bonds are have a strong impact on suicide rate in a social group. For example, women and protestants are more apt to commit suicide because their ties to their social groups are weaker. Also, he noted that if bonds are too strong, the risk for suicide increases as well. A man who loses his spouse may be more likely to commit suicide, because he sees death as a better option than living without his wife. In this case, their feelings were deeply integrated.

An Introduction to the Theoretical Perspectives of Sociology

Finally, there is conflict theory. This theory came as a result of Karl Marx's studies on social equality. He concluded that the key to human history is class struggle. This meant that one small group of people controls the means, while a much larger group of workers is exploited for their benefit. This, of course, was recorded at a time when worker's rights, labor laws, and capitalism were in their infancy. For the most part, workers were at the mercy of their employers. Marx suggested that if all the wealth was shared evenly, humans could coexist in harmony.

These three theories not only explained human interaction when they were created many years ago, but can also be applied today to more modern situations. Take Emile Durkheim. His studies on human interaction stated that the group of people one is surrounded by determines how he carries himself. If Durkheim were alive today, and he intended to undertake a study of gangs, he would likely start out by observing what type of external factors lead to an individual's desire to join one. External forces, such as parental neglect, lack of friendship, and lack of social activity could all be considered legitimate reasons for one to join a gang. Upon entering, Durkheim would follow several gang members and see how drastically a person's values would change in order to conform to the lifestyle of the gang. In short, he would show that weak bonds with family fuel a desire for strong bonds with another source - whether that source is a positive or a negative influence.

The three sub levels of Theoretical Perspectives help us to better understand how sociologists go about crafting their theories, and how they will experiment to attempt to prove them. While there is no single way to go about producing sociological theories, each one of the sub categories listed in this essay can offer a legitimate explanation for almost any sociological issue.

An Introduction to the Theoretical Perspectives of Sociology

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Sociology of Reality TV

You know something has permeated a culture when American colleges and universities are charging big money to teach classes about the sociology and psychology of reality TV.

Aside from the more traditional subjects like calculus and European History, college students are paying several grand a semester to collectively watch and discuss Big Brother, American Idol or MTV's The Real World. Students debate questions like "Why is reality TV so popular?" or "Why do people want to be broadcast while using the toilet or failing to discipline their wild children?" I am sure the founders of the great American institutions of learning are backflipping in their graves knowing that students are writing papers about Flavor Flav, but many academics argue that reality TV actually provides a new lens through which to view and interpret our culture. The question remains: Could reality TV actually be teaching us anything, or are these classes just dangling carrots to get more students to pay ,000 tuition bills?

Anthropology Sociology

No matter what, popular culture has arguably been taken over by television's version of reality. Though these shows are not something many of us wish to put into a time capsule to reflect the condition of American media in the 21st century, most of us cannot get enough of them. There are just as many closet watchers of reality TV as there are self-proclaimed reality addicts. And, it doesn't even seem like the story-line or topic matters anymore - it's the format that grabs us. The same person might watch Project Runway, Making the Band and Flip that House. So perhaps it's just exciting to peer into the minds, emotions and lives of others. The popularity of blogs would certainly affirm that. In a time when we know less and less about what goes on behind the doors of the Oval Office or the gilded lobbies of American's largest corporations, it seems we all just want a little bit of truth, or else a whole lot of candor.

Sociology of Reality TV

Sociology of Reality TV

Are you a Reality T.V. fan? There is a whole community waiting for you at Reality Community [http://www.reality-community.com] - [http://www.reality-community.com] Ed Charkow the author of this article is an avid poster and participant there. If you are a Reality TV junkie - he would love to see you there.

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Definition and History of Sociology

Definition

In a nutshell, sociology is the scientific study of society. Sociologists use the tools and methods of science to understand how and why humans behave the way they do when they interact together in groups. Though social groups - or societies - are made up of individual people, sociology is the study of the group rather than of the individual. When it comes to understanding how the individual human mind works, sociologists largely leave that up to psychologists.

Anthropology Sociology

Most people who call themselves "sociologists" work in universities and colleges, where they teach sociology and conduct sociological research. They ask a variety of questions about society, sometimes wanting answers just for the sake of curiosity; however, many times their findings are used to inform decisions by policymakers, executives, and other individuals. Many people who study sociology go on to conduct sociological research outside of academia, working for government agencies, think tanks, or private corporations. Accurate, systematic study of society is in one way or another useful to just about everyone.

Definition and History of Sociology

Studying sociology, whether or not you call yourself a "sociologist," means taking a particular view of the world: a view that sociologist C. Wright Mills called "the sociological imagination." You have to be willing to set aside your ideas about how the social world should work so that you can see how it actually works. That doesn't mean that sociologists don't have personal values and opinions about the social world; they believe that to change the world, you first need to understand it.

History

Sociology is considered one of the social sciences - along with economics, psychology, anthropology, geography, and political science (among others). The social sciences were born in the 18th and 19th centuries, as people began applying the scientific method to human life and behavior. The world was changing dramatically and quickly as industrial production replaced agriculture, as democratic republics replaced monarchies, and as city life replaced country life. Realizing how many great insights science had lent regarding the natural world, people decided to try to use the same method to understand the social world.

Among the social sciences, sociology has always been unique in its ambition to understand the entire social world - considering all its aspects in combination rather than in isolation. It's a daunting task, and one that sociologists are still struggling with today.

The most important early sociologists had clear ideas about how to study and understand society; these ideas still form the basis for much sociological investigation and discussion today. Karl Marx emphasized the importance of physical resources and the material world; he believed that conflict over resources is at the heart of social life. Emile Durkheim emphasized cooperation rather than conflict: He was interested in the shared norms and values that make cooperative social life possible. Max Weber took ideas from both Marx and Durkheim and argued that both conflict and cooperation, both material resources and cultural values are essential to social life.

Over the past century, sociologists have continued to debate the early sociologists' ideas and have applied them to specific societies all over the world. Thanks in large part to the influence of "the Chicago School" of sociologists in the early 20th century, sociologists today pay close attention to small groups and person-to-person interaction as well as to the grand sweep of social history. Today, sociologists appreciate that the big questions and the little questions regarding society are interlinked, and that you can't understand the macro (the big) without also understanding the micro (the little).

Definition and History of Sociology

This article History of Sociology is by K. Hussain who is also the author of online Sociology Education site http://edu.learnsoc.org/

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