What is sociology? Sociology 101

Introduction

Sociology is the science of human behaviour as influenced by their interaction and identifying factors within society. Sociology, therefore, delves into human behaviour as shaped by the social causes and consequences, human social life and change and the impact on the general human behaviour (Homans, 2017). Sociology analyses how people interact regarding how people respond, influence and act upon each other. Human interaction and relationships are defined by various societal issues including poverty, race, crime and law, education, social class and any other influencers of human behaviour within a society. Depending on a given society, various, sociological concepts arise that are analysed within the essay. The complexity of human behaviours and the various societies has led to the formulation of various perceptions including the analysis of morals, norms and values, the analysis of the social economy and the rise of social classes thus the concepts of functionalism, marxism and interactionism (Bunge and Boudon, 2017). Through these social concepts, the analysis of social problems, changes and order within a society are defined with an aim to determine human behaviour through their interactions, interpretations, actions and relationships.

Theories in Sociology

Functionalism

Functionalism is one of the key concepts in sociology that defines human behaviour and relationship. The theory was first developed by Emile Durkheim and later adopted and enhanced by Herbert Spencer, Robert Merton and Talcott Parsons who made a notable theoretical influence on the concept. The concept is based on the argument that social consensus is vital and a basic component for normal human coexistence and relationships in society (Turner, 2017). The functionalists viewed society as an organ whose parts played a vital role in its stability and would not function on their own. The various aspects and issues in a society are interdependent such that the success of a given aspect leads to the success of other societal aspects otherwise the social order and consensus fail and new social order is created. Functionalists´argue that society is held together by their social consensus. An example is a family-government relationship where the government offers education to families after which they get employed and act as sources of revenue to the government through remitting taxes. An effective family-government interrelationship works to provide order, productivity and stability in the society(Walklate, 2018). Otherwise, if the consensus fails, for example, lack of employment to the educated students, the social order and consensus would be interrupted and the society would revert and adapt to new orders to regain the meant productivity, order and stability. Even though the concept is considered vital in sociology, it contradicts other social concepts such as symbolic interactionalism and conflict theory. Functionalism discourages individual efforts to change a social perspective. Society reorganises itself according to the changes it encounters contrary to conflict theory where solutions to changes in the society are sought regardless of a set societal consensus.

Marxism

Marxism social theory was named after  Karl Marx. The theory aids in the study of society through the analysis of social classes and the economy within society. The concept delves into the relationship between workers in a system and the economy within it. Marxism creates a social classless society without the two common factions of the proletariat (workers) and the bourgeoisie (bosses) (Parkin, 2018). Marx ideally believed that governments existed to protect the wealthy in the society and not the protection of the common good, therefore the need to create a society where every individual irrespective of their social-economic status works for the benefit of the common good. Marxism was developed under three key social determinations and realisations; the existence of capitalism where the distinction between workers and capitalists was identified, capitalists controlling the society and exploiting workers and the ideal realisation that the unfairly treated workers would rise when enlightened and do away with classes and bias (Therborn, 2018) and perhaps the reason for the significant increase of the various labour organisations and labour courts to protect the rights of the workers in the society.

 The theory of Marxism has led to the development of various governments that function to protect the common good in society. Communism is one such government developed on the ideals of marxism. A Communist government such as the one in the republic of China tends to serve its members fairly as the government pays its workers based on their needs and level of skills and ability. As such, workers seem to be fairly treated. The overall rule and ownership of property publicly are solely on a central government. Even so, communist governments may appear oppressive in situations where the government galvanises individual thinking and visions into the marxism ideologies. In such cases, the government and its overall leader would act as a dictator who imposes their way of thinking and perceptions on their subject.

 Socialism is another type of government based on marxism ideas(Parkin, 2018). Even though a socialist government does not exist, the system provides a platform where a central government owns all sources of wealth in the society while its members can still own property individually. The expression of issues of concern from such a government is made through social reforms and elections. Marxism as a concept, therefore, provides a platform where social class is eliminated and fair treatment of individuals within the society is enhanced regardless of their social-economic status.

Interactionism

Interactionism perspective in sociology analyses the society based on the interaction between individuals or a group of individuals within a society. Pioneers of the theory included George Herbert Mead, Erving Goffman, Herbert Blumer and Max Weber. These philosophers analysed interactionism regarding the interaction between humans through their actions, decision making and interpretation of situations when interacting(Jacobsen, 2017).  A family is a group of individuals of at least two people, husband and wife. The way they interact shapes their way of life regarding the values and norms within the family. Family attributes such as love, care, respect and commitment to each member of the family form the basis of interaction. The actions, decisions and interpretation of occurrences within the family are shaped by their way of interaction. A family that bonds well may boost positive interactionism while a family experiencing challenges such as domestic violence, and drug abuse among its members due to frustrations within the family may be due to poor ways of interaction leading to the societal perceived harmful decisions and actions since the behaviour of individuals depends on the actions of other individuals they interact with since humans are social actors and adapt to situations following the actions of other social actors.

Symbolic interactionism is developed from the ideas of interactionism. The concept dwells on the subjective interpretation of a situation or behaviour based on the experiences of an individual. An interaction with an individual or situation in society can subjectively inform an individual´s interpretation. Good or bad, wrong or right behaviour largely depends on the interpretation of an individual through a given interaction and the experiences through the process. Gender is an example of societal interactionism understood through symbolic interactionism. Male and females are analysed based on the societal perspective of what is true from human interactions rather than objective interactions between males and females. Societies define women to wear dresses such that a man wearing a dress is considered feminine. Such interpretations lead to biases and gender discrimination that are encountered in society. Human interactions, therefore, inform their understanding and interpretation of the world.

Sociological Imagination

According to C Wright Mills, the founder of sociological imagination “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” Mill´s description defines sociological imagination as an act of connecting individual challenges, perceptions and actions to the societal issues at a time (Staubmann, 2021). The need to relate individual opinions and ways of life to society aids eliminate conflict and relate positively. The concept aids establish a balance between individuals within a system and the system itself such that shortcomings are established, conflicts are resolved and conflicting issues are identified and social structures are comprehensively understood.

Functionalism and Family

A family is a system of individuals related by blood and marriage and a basic contemporary issue in society. The individuals encounter challenges and their ideas that are largely shaped by the system. The creation of a social consensus within a family regarding values and morals and the need to think of others and not an individual within the family aid in establishing stability, productivity and order (Seeger and Davison-Vecchione, 2019). Members of a family are obligated to respect each other, provide for each other and guide each other so that the family lives under-identified values and norms. A family without values and morals risks breaking apart as the system would tend to generate its ways of creating order and stability within it. Parents provide for their children until they are old enough to take care of themselves and later take care of their parents at old age. If the consensus is rightly followed then the system works in an orderly manner without various family challenges such as divorce, indiscipline, or emancipation otherwise the system would stabilise itself through the negatively perceived deeds.

Interactionalism and Family

Symbolic interactionism emphasises experience being the determinant of individual interpretation and subjective perceptions. A family living under positive experiences such as love and care for all family members would impose a positive interpretation of family and marriage (Staubmann, 2021). Otherwise, a family experiencing divorce, domestic violence, and lack of care for family members, especially children would impose a negative experience and a negative interpretation on family and marriage.

Conclusion

Sociology is an important aspect of the study of human behaviour. The various social concepts provide a broad platform for analysing the wide social context and varied human behaviours. A connected study of the concepts would aid provide an ideal social structure that encourages and improve human behaviour. Social imagination provides a vital framework that aids connect individuals to their system aids avoiding conflicts and challenges and identifying areas of concern in the society and thus creating a positive environment for human life, interaction and justifiable human behaviours.

Reference List

Bunge, M. and Boudon, R., 2017. The sociology-philosophy connection. Routledge.

Homans, G.C., 2017. Contemporary theory in sociology. In Sociological Methods, pp. 51-69, Routledge.

Jacobsen, M.H., 2017. Erving Goffman. In The Interactionist Imagination, pp. 195-232, Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Parkin, F., 2018. Marxism and class theory: A bourgeois critique, pp. 193-201, Routledge.

Seeger, S. and Davison-Vecchione, D., 2019. Dystopian literature and the sociological imagination. Thesis Eleven, vol. 155, no. 1, pp.45-63.

Staubmann, H., 2021. C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination and the Construction of Talcott Parsons as a Conservative Grand Theorist. The American Sociologist, vol. 52, no. 1 , pp.178-193.

Therborn, G., 2018. From Marxism to Post-Marxism?. Verso Books.

Turner, J.H., 2017. Functionalism. The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, pp.1-9.

Walklate, S., 2018. Functionalism. In Theories of Welfare, pp. 111-131, Routledge.