Ways of learning about the social world

This essay report discusses the ways of learning about the social world. It explores the social world model and the levels of analysis - micro, meso, and macro. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding social structures and social processes. References are provided for further reading.

Ways of learning about the
social world
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Contents
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................5
MAIN BODY................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
Social world refers to the term by which common organisations, symbols and activities
emerge. The study of human life with emphasis on society, groups and social interaction is
considered as social world. In order to understand the social world, there are some levels in
social surroundings as an interlinked series of institutions, organisations, societies and small
groups which needs to be analysed appropriately (Beckers, Van der Voordt and Dewulf,
2015). Adequate understanding of society or social world is necessary as if an individual
cannot understand it, he or she is more possibly to be overwhelmed by it. This is an essay
report which is based on the topic “Ways of learning about the social world”. In this essay
report, the ways by which an individual can understand the social world appropriately are
discussed and at last a brief conclusion is provided which involves summary of overall report.
MAIN BODY
Social world is a term which is often implement to the 'universes of discourse' by which
common organizations, activities and symbols emerge. It involves cultural areas which is not
need to be physically bounded. Classic examples might be nursing, social world of surfing,
politics or science. Studying sociology is necessary for understanding the social world and
ourselves better. There is a social world model- it expresses how Individuals life is inserted in
and influences Individuals, family, community and world. This is significant reality that an
individual can make become a more knowledge and an effective citizen (Taylor, 2017). It
includes self or inner circle and then local community then national organizations and ethnic
subcultures then society and then global community.
The social world starts with social construction and human social interaction. The
perspective of social construction is about what an individual knows and experience is
developed by social interaction and is viewed as reality. Some of the basic presuppositions of
social world includes: human life is constructed socially; for the existence, they depend on
each other; it is a closed system with no transcendent being or reality; people are linked with
one another; the initiating point of social logical enquiry is group etc. The wheel of sociology
involves social interaction, groups and social rules, socialization, culture, formal organisations,
social institutions and social networks which in turn feeding back into culture. The wheel of
sociology depicts the way society is place together (Bezemer and Kress, 2015).
The model of social world- social world model helps people in analyzing social
surrounding like as an interconnected sequence of organizations, Societies, institutions, and
small groups. These groups are linked with mutual cooperation and support, but sometimes
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conflicts and power struggles takes place over acquiesce to resources. No social unit is alone,
all units of world affect each other. The social world has two parts- social processes and
social structures.
Social processes- it is the actions of Individuals in social units. Processes keeps the social
world running. For instance, the process of social processes teaches people how to become
successful and productive members (Helps and Sheppard, 2015). It takes place via actions in
educational systems, families, religious organizations etc. Social processes are essential for
continuation of society. Individuals social positions in society is based upon the results of
stratification, income, education, occupation etc. Conflicts happens between groups or
individuals over jobs, money and over other resources. Process of modification is continuous
pattern in all social unit; one-unit change affects other units in the social world. Without the
action by social processes, social units will be lifeless.
Social structures- social world is made of a number of units which combines to form a
social structure. All social units combined and form a large social structure. However,
sometimes the interconnections between social structure leads to conflict, due to self-interest
among units, divergent believes.
Social institutions- These institutions are the largest units which develops a society-
education, military, politics, science, religion, family, economics and healthcare. All these
render the roles, relationship and rules to mitigate human satisfaction and to direct human
behavior. Social institutions are referred as the units by organized social activities takes place
and provides setting for activities which is crucial to society and survival of human. For
instance, without economic institution people cannot survive who provides guidelines to meet
the basic needs to the Individuals like food, clothing and shelter.
Levels of analysis- There are three levels of analysis of social world- Micro level analysis
which contains interpersonal local organizations, Meso level analysis which contains
institutions and organizations and ethnic groups, the analysis at macro level contains nations
and community at global level. Each social unit from smallest to largest is referred as level of
analysis (Hwang, Chiu and Chen, 2015).
Micro level analysis- this analysis emphasizes on small groups. This level is so much
crucial because in person interactions are the basic foundations of organizations and social
groups to which Individuals belong, from corporations to families to Societies. People are
members of different groups at micro level. For instance, micro level analysis, understand the
problems of abuse of spouse. To get to know the answer of this question, there are several
possible explanations at micro level. One possible way is that abusive spouse convinced the
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other abused person that she or he is powerless in this relationship or that she deserves the
abuse. The abused one is seen as a part of interaction- of reaction and action and then both
come to see the abuse which comprises as normal interaction (Pritchard, 2017). Another
possibility could be that an abused woman might fear about the children or like she would be
judged by people that if she abandoned her partner. She may have not enough resources to
leave. Meso level analysis has different explanation for the same situation.
Meso level analysis- it is the analysis of intermediate- size units. It contains to look at units
which are smaller in comparison to nation but large than local community. This includes
nationwide organizations, national institutions, ethnic groups and nationwide corporations that
have an identification as a group. Institutions, ethnic communities and organizations are quite
smaller than global social forces or the nation but still they are far beyond from day to day
personal experience or individual control, till those people consolidate to make a collective
change this structures (Martínez-Álvarez, 2017). Individuals are transitional in sense of being
enormous to know everybody in group, yet they are not big as a country state at macro level.
Using Meso to study changes in rights of women or status, for instance, it could consist study
of educational, economic, religious, scientific, sports, political and legal related opportunities
for women. However, Meso level analysis changes which make novel opportunities for ladies
might also create conflict or abuse among families in micro level as ladies take benefit of
growing opportunities external to home. In early example mentioned in micro level analysis, of
domestic violence. In this case, victims must not to be blame, in this the person who is
abused, for receiving an abusive relationship, and for failing in ways to stop the abuse.
Macro level analysis- This analysis is associated with largest social units which involves
analysis of global forces along with international social trends and entire nations. Study macro
level analysis is important for understanding how larger the social forces are, like global
events, and to shape everyday lives. Natural disasters like tsunami, earthquake, floods across
the world may modify the food people are able to give at family dinner table, as most of the
countries import food from other countries. Like political conflicts on other countries can led to
destructive war, means that a person of a family can be called on duty far away from their
home. Each and every man of family may feel stress, feel ill and having troubles concentrating
(Merriam and Baumgartner, 2020). The whole earth has become interdependent social unit. If
Individuals need to prosper in 21st century they need to know connections which go beyond
local communities. Patterns like domestic violence such as in meso and micro level above,
can be studied at macro level also. Many countries around the world has faced violence
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against women while some countries are super safe for women's and there are some where
there is a "culture of rape".
CONCLUSION
As per the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that social world includes
cultural areas which are not required to be bounded physically. For understanding the social
world, social world model is appropriate as its states the way life of an individual is inserted in
and impact their family, society, community and the world. This model helps in analysing the
surroundings like societies, institutions and small groups. Social structures and social
processes are the part of social world. In order to analyse it appropriately, three levels need to
be studied and analysed. This include micro level, meso level and macro level. Proper
analysis of all the three levels will help an individual in understanding and learning about the
social world appropriately.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Beckers, R., Van der Voordt, T. and Dewulf, G., 2015. A conceptual framework to identify
spatial implications of new ways of learning in higher education. Facilities.
Bezemer, J. and Kress, G., 2015. Multimodality, learning and communication: A social
semiotic frame. Routledge.
Helps, S. and Sheppard, N., 2015. Developing ways of working with parents and their infants
to improve the core deficits of autism. International Journal of Birth and Parenting
Education, 2(3), pp.26-30.
Hwang, G.J., Chiu, L.Y. and Chen, C.H., 2015. A contextual game-based learning approach
to improving students' inquiry-based learning performance in social studies
courses. Computers & Education, 81, pp.13-25.
Martínez-Álvarez, P., 2017. Special ways of knowing in science: Expansive learning
opportunities with bilingual children with learning disabilities. Cultural Studies of
Science Education, 12(3), pp.521-553.
Merriam, S.B. and Baumgartner, L.M., 2020. Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide.
John Wiley & Sons.
Pritchard, A., 2017. Ways of learning: Learning theories for the classroom. Routledge.
Taylor, E.W., 2017. Transformative learning theory. In Transformative learning meets
bildung (pp. 17-29). Brill Sense.
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