Aspects of Sociology: Social Experiences that Form Personal Values, Beliefs and Attitudes

Running Head: ASPECTS OF SOCIOLOGY
Aspects of Sociology
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Topic- Social experiences that form personal values , beliefs and attitudes
All human beings have developed unique beliefs, values and attitudes throughout the
course of their lives. Our family, the community, the society, the surroundings, our friends have
contributed to how we see the world. In our day to day lives we come into contact with many
incidents which leave huge impact on our psyche and we start seeing the world in that ways.
Such experiences can be direct or personal and also indirect or via media, newspapers,
television and others. Best, (2013) suggests ‘Values’ are a set of ideas or principles one grows
within the self. These are the standard morals against which we judge the world. Values can be
developed only through self –experiences. On the other hand, a society does not work without
people. In fact, a society runs with the collective values of individuals. We are all the upholders
of the society and our values, beliefs and activities upgrade or degrade the social construction
and scenario. The relationship between individual values, behaviors and the society is more
philosophical than sociological because defining the relationship between them, we first need to
know why and how values are created and how do they reflect in our actions. This essay focuses
on certain aspects of social experiences that help to form personal values, beliefs and attitudes.
I have observed innumerous instances of gender discriminations against women. After
exploring a good deal regarding their social position, I have come to the point that the root cause
of their distressful condition in society is their political situation and gender inequality. They are
considered to be the ‘weaker sex’, ‘born slaves’ as informed by Mackay, (2004). There are many
occurrences of woman abuse visible in day to day lives. It has initiated my own way of
judgment, influenced my attitude towards the society and perspectives towards the social system

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which is mostly indifferent towards such deplorable conditions. The issue of women and society
is an endless story which is continuing since time immemorial, be in the 18th century or the
modern age, women have always been underprivileged though the distress is a bit modernized
today.
Sociological theories are the ways to present and judge different aspects of social actions
to establish a hypothesis regarding the society. There are micro-level theories which focus on the
relationships between small groups or individuals. There are also macro-level theories which
concentrate upon large issues related to large groups of people. There are few theories that help
us to have a deeper insight into different aspects of social life and these theories are named as
paradigms. Three of the major paradigms are currently governing the sociological thinking.
These are structural functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism. These theories
can be related to the issue of gender discrimination.
According to Cree, (2010) the term ‘gender’ is meant to be the biological difference
between male and female but the term has been redefined by the society as the difference
between masculinity and femininity. Now the society has imposed certain set of rules, some
cultural, political difference between males and females. The functionalist approach towards
gender says that there are few fixed field of function or actions formed since the beginning of the
world. The biblical story of Adam and Eve projected that man is born to earn the bread by the
sweat of his brow and women are bound to bear the labor pain. Since then there is an invisible
division line between men and women. Men are supposed to earn for the family, while women
are supposed to be the housekeepers and child rearers. Some critics opine that this division is
based on the physical work efficiency of the two folks but some critics detest it and argue that
this division is done by the society and not an effect of the ‘biological programming’. I believe