2. What is Sociology?
The study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society.
Derived from the Latin word socius (companion) and the Greek word logos (study
of), meaning “the study of companionship.”
Sociology, a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the
the processes that preserve and change them.
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3. Sociological Perspective
View or lens to see the
world/society and to make a
sense of the world/society. It is
about the angle/level from
which you see in the society
and about what you see in the
society.
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4. The Sociological Perspective
Seeing the general in particular:
Sociologists look for general patterns in the behavior of
particular people.
Seeing the strange in the familiar:
Giving up the idea that human behaviour is simply a matter of
what people decide to do, understanding that society shapes
and influences our decisions
Seeing personal choice in the social context:
Society affects even our most personal choices (suicide, Emile
Durkheim)
Seeing sociologically marginality scripts:
The experience of being outsider can encourage people to
use the sociological perspective.
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5. Importance of Global Perspective
Where we live in a high-income country like the United States , a middle-income
country such as Mexico, or a low-income country such as Mali shapes the lives
we lead.
Many social problems that we face in the Nepal are far more serious in other
countries.
Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected.
• New technology allows people around the world to share popular trends.
• Immigration from around the world increases the racial and ethnic diversity of a
country.
• Trade across national boundaries has created a global economy.
Learning about life in other societies helps us learn more about ourselves.
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7. STRUCTURAL-
FUNCTIONAL APPROACH
The STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL
APPROACH explores how social
structures patterns of behavior,
such as religious rituals or family
life- work together to help
society operate.
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9. Conflict Theory
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Karl Marx is known as
the father of
Communism
• Communism:
Everyone is the same.
Everyone has equal
rights to everything.
There is no any social
class.
The division of society
into two broad classes
of people—the
“haves” and the
nots”
Views society as
composed of different
groups and interest
competing for power
and resources
Developed by Karl
Marx
11. Symbolic interaction theory
Analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings
that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors.
People interpret one another’s behavior, and it is these
interpretations that form the social bond.
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Companion: a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time
it is nothing but a point of view .sociological perspective deal with a point of view of looking towards social world and its relation with human behavior.
Seeing the general in particular: For eg, If fifth sem is making noise then Nikesh is also blamed as noise making student.
Seeing the strange in the familiar: For eg, society says if we drive a car we look smart but in another way of looking it, we are polluting the environment and also, it may get accidents. So Society shapes and influences our decisions.
Seeing personal choice in the social context: eg: Women in poor countries have more children than the women of rich countries. (due to social factors, lack of edu. Awarness. Family planning knowledge etc. And also, why people commit suicide? Emile Durkheim said that people commit suicide because of social forces though it is a private choice.
Seeing sociologically marginality scripts: For eg: No any black people grow up without understanding the importance of race in shaping people lives in united states.
A global perspective is a comprehensive lens through which you see the world around you
. A global perspective is important because many human problems that we face in the Nepal are far more serious elsewhere.
The environment: pollution and global warming
Diseases: AIDS, SARS, Bird Flu, TB
The sociological perspective helps us to recognize human diversity and to confront the challenges of living in a diverse world.
Sociologists use three major THEORETICAL APPROACHES to describe the operation of society.
For eg: if tailor stops to sewing clothes then who will sew clothes?
if there is no one to become an office peon then who will serve the duties of peon?
So, in conclusion, this approach speaks that, to operate the society smoothly, every function should be done properly.
The second picture is all about starvation in south Sudan. The vulture is eyeing at the little girl.
The origins of the conflict perspective can be traced to the classic works of Karl Marx.
For example, feminist theory argues that we live in a patriarchal society
The haves control the means of production (key industries). The have- nots work themselves to death for low wages. Have get all the benefits. In this way conflict is created between these classes.
So in order to end the conflict, karl marx propose the political theory of socialism that is Communism.
is a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society. It includes : Communication that is the exchange of meaning through language and symbols that is believed to be the way in which people make sense of their social worlds.
For example, why would young people smoke cigarettes even when all objective medical evidence points to the dangers of doing so? Studies find that teenagers are well informed about the risks of tobacco, but they also think that smoking is cool, that they will be safe from harm, and that smoking projects a positive image to their peers. So, the symbolic meaning of smoking overrides the facts regarding smoking and risk.