Sociological Theories: Exploring Social Concepts and Personal Insights

This essay delves into sociological theories, examining key social concepts such as social integration, socialization, in-group dynamics, and deviance. The author provides a personal reflection, illustrating how cultural values, traditions, and norms shape individual behavior within a society, specifically referencing their upbringing in a Christian community. The essay also explores the theory of symbolic interaction, highlighting how communication and shared meanings influence individual actions and beliefs. The author connects the concept of symbolic interaction to their personal experiences, demonstrating how societal norms and interactions with elders shaped their understanding and adherence to religious practices. The essay references key sociological literature to support its arguments, offering a comprehensive overview of these core sociological concepts and their impact on individual and societal behavior.

Running head: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
Sociological theories
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
Table of Contents
Social concepts................................................................................................................................2
Social integration.........................................................................................................................2
Socialization................................................................................................................................2
In-group.......................................................................................................................................2
Deviance......................................................................................................................................2
Personal Reflection..........................................................................................................................2
Sociological theories........................................................................................................................3
References:......................................................................................................................................5

2SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
Social concepts
Social integration – Social integration refers to the method of intermingling of the minorities
and marginalized sections of a community with the main stream population (Keirns et al. 2018).
Social integration was first researched upon by Burgess and Park in 1921 through the mechanism
of assimilation. The primary objective behind social integration is that of sharing of common
cultures.
Socialization – The process of socialization refers to the sociological method whereby the
individuals living in a society are taught to behave in a manner which is found to be acceptable
to others (Keirns et al. 2018). In other words, socialization enables the individuals of the society
to acquire the same cultural traditions as their neighbors.
In-group – The various groups living in the society are differentiated from each other based on
one cultural aspect or the other (Keirns et al. 2018). The members of a group who share the same
cultural traditions and norms with the other members, are included within that group and
together they form the in-group.
Deviance – The sociological concept of deviance refers to the violation of the established
norms, cultural traditions and values (Keirns et al. 2018). The individuals who engage in such
activities are considered to be outlaws of the society and they are punished as a result of such
violation.

3SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
Personal Reflection
Within the confines of a society, there is a peculiar culture which helps to distinguish one
kind of community from the others. Such cultures have their own values, traditions and customs
which aid in the development of the personality of the individuals living in that society.
Within my own society, I had to ascribe to such cultural values. Belonging to a Christian
society, I was taught by my elders to pay my respects to the Holy Bible. The teachings in the
Scriptures acted as a guideline for my way of life, dictating to me the kind of life I should lead,
the food that I can consume and the various norms I should ascribe to. In this respect, I was
given a lot of support by the elders of the society. They tried to integrate me in to the society
with the aid of socialization and that of social integration.
My personality was developed along the lines which were considered to be acceptable by
the other members of the society. In the event that I deviated from such cultural norms, such as
consume a particular food item that was not accepted by my faith, I was penalized by the way of
punishment. For instance, when I consumed pork during my University days in a foreign
country, my parents and neighbors scolded me. They even had to organize a purifying ceremony
in a Church where I had to confess my sins and ask for forgiveness from a Father.
Sociological theories
The theory of symbolic interaction refers to the relationship that exists among the various
individuals living in a community (Yeager 2016). The mechanism of communication which
involves the use of symbols and languages, is considered to be an integral part of symbolic
integration.

4SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
The idea of symbolic interaction was first advocated by a sociologist named George
Herbert Mead back in the nineteenth century (Twehues and Bradley 2017). It was his student,
Herbert Blumer, who first coined the term and gave the underlying features of the concept. One
of the characterizing features of symbolic interaction is that of human communication with
regards to the meaning ascribed to the different objects in the society (Waskul and Vannini
2016). In other words, two individuals who ascribe the same meaning and level of importance to
a particular object in the society, have a higher chance of undergoing symbolic interaction with
each other. Thus, symbolic interaction states that the love for books which is seen within a
particular individual of the society, arises mainly because of the love for books shared by the
other immediate persons of the society in which the concerned individual lives (Mead 2019).
The presence of such symbolic interaction can be seen in my experience. My affiliation
to the Christian community taught me that I should not consume certain food items which are not
accepted by my religion. Thus, the apprehension that I had towards pork is a result of the kind of
interaction I participated in with the elders of my society. Through the mechanism of
socialization, they taught me a way of life to which I readily ascribed to (Nelson and Groom
2016). Thus, when they punished me for the deviance, I gratefully accepted it.

5SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
References:
Keirns, N.J., Strayer, E., Griffiths, H., Vyain, S., Bry, J.D., Cody-Rydzewski, S., Scaramuzzo,
G., Jones, F. and Sadler, T., 2018. Introduction to Sociology 2e: OpenStax.
Mead, G.H., 2019. Social Creativity and the Emergent Self. The Creativity Reader, p.433.
Nelson, L. and Groom, R., 2016. Herbert Blumer: Coaching and learning as symbolic
interaction. In Learning in Sports Coaching (pp. 193-204). Routledge.
Twehues, A.L. and Bradley, C., 2017. Applying Symbolic Interaction Theory to Staff Training:
An Empowerment Philosophy.
Waskul, D.D. and Vannini, P., 2016. Introduction: The body in symbolic interaction.
In Body/embodiment (pp. 15-32). Routledge.
Yeager, E.O., 2016. Symbolic Interaction Theory. Encyclopedia of Family Studies, pp.1-6.