Sociology: Exploring Social Structures, Interactions, and Theories

This essay provides an introduction to the field of sociology, exploring its definition as the study of society, social lives, and group interactions. It discusses the origins of sociology, tracing it back to Auguste Comte, and emphasizes its role in understanding human behavior within various contexts. The essay highlights the subject matter of sociology, which ranges from intimate family dynamics to global social processes, including issues of race, gender, and social class. It also outlines the research methods employed by sociologists, such as qualitative and quantitative approaches. Furthermore, the essay addresses key social concerns like inequality, economic crises, and social movements, while also touching upon the diverse topics of research, including population aging, entrepreneurship, and political changes. The essay concludes by outlining three main sociological perspectives: symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory, which offer different lenses for analyzing social phenomena and understanding the patterns of behavior and forces of social change. The provided references support the concepts discussed.

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The term sociology was first coined by Auguste Comte in the year. He was a French
philosopher and this branch of science is considered to be the youngest of science. It can be
explained as the result of the man’s search for more valid as well as precise knowledge about the
nature of society and man living in it (Maturana, 2015).
Sociology can be described as the study of the society. It is a social science subject that
involves the study of the social lives of people, societies and groups. Researchers describe this as
the study of behaviour of social beings which cover all aspects from the analysis of short
contacts between unknown individuals on the streets to that of the study of global social
processes. Researchers have described the term as an overarching unification of all studies of
humankind which includes history, psychology and economics (Mclntyre, 2013). In this subject,
experts called sociologists mainly conduct investigation about the structure of groups as well as
different organizations and societies and also how people interact within different contexts.
The subject matter of sociology can range over a wide variety of topics that may include
issues within intimate families to that of hostile mobs. It may also include organized crimes to
different religious cults (Fox, 2016). It involves issues ranging from the divisions of race, gender
and different social classes to that of the shared beliefs of a common culture.
Researchers have seen that this subject helps in providing distinctive perspectives of the
different societies of the world which helps in generation of new innovative ideas. It also helps in
critiquing or modifying old ideas and thereby providing a new view to look at the different
aspects of the world. Researchers who conduct social analysis and researches often use a range
of methods (Mantri, 2015). These may include qualitative methods which include archival work

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or ethnography. The quantitative methods of the researches mainly include statistical modeling
of the survey data as well as experiments and network analysis.
Different social issues which are of the greatest concern in the present days are the social
and economic inequalities which are impacting the lives of the people. Besides, different
economic crises, mass incarceration, health disparities and corporate downsizing – all have
become social concerns now which need to be attended on an urgent basis. Different welfare or
education reforms, sexuality and family formation and residential segregation are all important
topics of concern in sociology (Burrell & Morgan, 2017). Moreover, social movements, racial
inequality and also social media and culture are also of concerns which are often attended by
sociologists. Moreover cases of population aging, budding entrepreneurship, gender in
workplace, political changes, gender in the workplace and many others also are researched over
by the sociologists in the present time.
Many researchers are of the opinion that this subject helps in generating new ideas as
well as helps in critiquing the old. The research techniques applied in sociology helps in
analyzing social concerns. This may include street crimes and delinquency, corporate
downsizing, expression of people as their emotions. It also helps in looking over the welfare or
education reform and also how families differ and flourish and thereby helps every nation to
develop with proper set of principles (Inglis, 2014). Problems of peace and war are also
researched by the sociological departments of every nation so that not only one particular society
of the nation but all the important society of all nations can remains fearlessly with high quality
life.

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Sociology is a subject which is dealing with most of the important as well as challenging
issues of the time and therefore it is really an expanding field. The potential of this subject is that
it helps those who develop policies and thereby create programs. Sociologists are the people who
understand patterns of behavior as well as forces for social change and resistance and even how
social systems work.
Three different types of sociological perspectives are assured by researchers. The
symbolic interactionism mainly takes place at micro level analysis. It focuses on the use of
symptoms as well as several dace to face interactions. The second one is the functionalism which
takes place at the macro level analysis. It mainly focuses on the relationship between the
different parts of the society and how different aspects of the society function and adapt
themselves (Mantri, 2015). The last one is the conflict theory which is a macro level analysis. It
mainly focuses on the competition of the scarce resources and how the elite control the poor and
weak in the societies.

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References:
Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (2017). Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis:
Elements of the sociology of corporate life. Routledge.
Fox, N. (2016). Practical Sociology: Sociology graduates are ideally placed to solve our practical
problems. Impact of Social Sciences Blog.
Inglis, D. (2014). What is worth defending in sociology today? Presentism, historical vision and
the uses of sociology. Cultural Sociology, 8(1), 99-118.
Mantri, S. (2015). What Use is Sociology? Conversations with Michael‐Hviid Jacobsen and
Keith Tester by Zygmunt Bauman. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2014. 134pp.,£ 15.99, ISBN
9780745671253. Political Studies Review, 13(2), 277-277.
Maturana, H. R. (2015). What Is Sociology?.
McIntyre, L. (2013). The practical skeptic: Core concepts in sociology. McGraw-Hill Higher
Education.