LC470: Assignment on Key Terms and Thinkers in Social World

This assignment, completed for the LC470 module 'Making Sense of Society,' delves into the complexities of the social world. It begins by defining key sociological terms such as qualitative and quantitative research, alienation, social movements, and sustainability, providing context and examples to illustrate their significance. The assignment then evaluates the contributions of Karl Marx and Patricia Hill Collins, examining their theories and how they illuminate contemporary societal structures and power dynamics. The analysis explores Marx's materialism and theory of alienation, alongside Collins' work on race, class, and gender through the lens of Black feminist thought. The assignment provides critical comparisons and theoretical perspectives, offering a comprehensive understanding of the social world.

Understanding the
social world

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
SECTION 1......................................................................................................................................2
Define the key terms and discuss how these are helpful to understand the social world.......2
SECTION 2......................................................................................................................................5
Evaluate the work of famous thinkers to understand contemporary societies.......................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Social world is a term which is useful in terms of applying the universe of discourse with the
help of various symbols, organisations and emerged activities. It effectively undertakes cultural
areas that should not be physically bounded. Sociology depict the unique way to view the world
as it involves suitable transformation which is the effective way to see the world. For this,
learning tends to recognise the complex connections of the intimate personal lives with small
groups with the large companies undertaking the national and global event and structure
(Chambliss and Schutt, 2018). Here, the report leads depict the description about suitable key
terms that helps in understanding the social world. Furthermore, the aim of report is to evaluate
the work of two famous thinkers in order to understand contemporary societies.
SECTION 1
Define the key terms and discuss how these are helpful to understand the social world
Qualitative and quantitative research: Quantitative research depict the expressed numbers
and graphs as it is useful in order to test suitable theories and assumptions. It is the effective type
of research which is useful to establish generalised facts regarding the topic. For this, the
common quantitative methods undertake observation, experiments, surveys with closed ended
questions and so on. Furthermore, in qualitative research it leads to express in words and also
helpful in understanding concepts, experiences and thoughts. It is the suitable type of research
that leads to enable in order to gather in-depth vision on the topics which are not even
understandable. For this, the common qualitative method undertakes interviews with open ended
questions, literature reviews, observations and also explore suitable concepts and theories. Away
with this, the quantitative research method leads to focus on testing theories, effective analysis
through statistics and math. It prominently leads to express things in numbers, tables and graphs
and need number of respondents as it undertakes the key terms like testing, objectivity and
measurement. Moreover, the qualitative research leads to focus on effectively exploring the ideas
by formulating theories, it is analysed through categories and interpretations (Nowland, Necka
and Cacioppo, 2018). It is prominently expressed in words and need few respondents and also
undertake open-ended questions as it includes suitable key terms like understanding, context,
subjectivity and complexity. Moreover, these research methods are useful in order to develop

social world with other perspective in terms of getting and developing knowledge, understanding
and collecting information in an effective manner.
Alienation: It refers to the suitable process by which the social being is disengaged from
the social process and structure. It plays an important role in Marxism as for Marx, it depicts the
subjugation of people in their words by which they lead to assume the guise of independent
things. Alienation occur when people are unable to relate things to the real world in which they
live. It depicts the philosophical concept which is referred to the statement of people from
themselves. This context comes to the capitalism for the sociological identification by the Karl
Marx which is being used for the effective sense of worker to being alienated from the capitalist
society. The alienation theory leads to pick out the subset of suitable problem and its separations
as the part of specific importance and also being explanatory accounts for the prognosis which
can be understood (Greifeneder, Bless and Fiedler, 2017). In regard of this, the suitable
discussion of alienation is not so unique as it is being related with the Marxist and Hegelian
intellectual traditions. It also depicts the present entry that clarifies the prominent idea of
alienation as it leads to distinguishes the alienation from the suitable concepts and also tends to
elucidates the suitable normative and conceptual issues undertaking the relation among the
ethical values and alienation.
Social movements: Social movements can be defined as collective efforts by a group of
people which are carried loosely in an organized way with a purpose to implement or impede
social, political economic or cultural changes. The size of social movements varies and can take
place at local, regional or national level (Liberman, Woodward and Kinzler, 2017). There is
nothing common among these masses except one that they share a common view point. Their
common perspective has made them come forward to raise their voice. Unlike special interest
group social movements work within a system and engage in various kinds of activities like sit-
ins, picket lines, demonstrations, strikes and protests.
Types of social movement
• Reform movement: These movements appeal a government to make a necessary
amendment in the nation's political, social and economic system.
• Revolutionary movements: These movements seek to make a complete change in a
society and want a new way of life. Political or civil rights movements are the
example of this.

• Reactionary movements: These movements aim at preventing a social change or
retract implemented social change.
• Whereas self-help movements demand to improve various aspects of particular
community and religious movements aims at strengthening the religious beliefs.
Social movements are conducted with an objective to make problems and issue visible
that arise in a social environment. Discontent among the members of society give rise to these
movements and they want their problems to be addressed and resolved. Discontented people feel
neglected and separated from a society.
Sustainability: Sustainability can be defined as the efficient use of natural resources in a
way that needs of the present is fulfilled without compromising the needs and demands of future
generation. Sustainability aims at prevention of natural resources from depletion and their impact
on environment. Organisations are constructing a framework with an aim to achieve a
sustainable goal by reducing the carbon footprints, reducing energy usage, getting raw-materials
by means of fair trading and adopting zero-waste packaging (Rose, Diaz and Blanford, 2017).
The framework focus on the long term goals rather than a short term which includes the various
factors like social, human and environmental.
Business sustainability is the practice where business run its operation without impacting
the environment in a negative way. “Going green” is a concept on which business is running its
operations which contribute to a healthy planet having a less or no impact on environment and
society.
Importance of Sustainability
Adopting a sustainable approach helps in reducing the cost of business. Though the initial
investment is high but generates a huge return on a long term basis. For example: by reducing the
usage of energy can contribute in saving money or use of organic material for the production
process. Companies, with an objective of contributing towards the betterment of society creates a
positive image as it describes that business prioritize society over money. Organisation with an
aim of sustainable growth generates an innovative ideas and strategies for the survival which
helps a company to have a competitive edge over others.

SECTION 2
Evaluate the work of famous thinkers to understand contemporary societies
Karl Marx
Karl Marx was a novelist, social theorist, philosopher and an economist as he is famous
for his capitalism and collectivism. He was inspired by the classical economists like David
Ricardo and Adam Smith for his own branch of economics. Moreover, the idea of Marx has huge
impact over the societies regarding the communist projects and also the modern thinker who
leads to influence the fields of sociology and political economy. In regard of this, the suitable
theory which is being developed by Marx is famous with the name of materialism as this theory
posits or point out the important thing which is depend on time and ordered by the specific type
of technology which is useful regarding the production process (Fox, 2018). Along with this,
prior to capitalism, Marx also suggested the particular set of social relations among the peasant
class and lord level which is related with the hand motorized or animal drove means for the
production prevalent at the specific time.
Furthermore, Marx also laid the basics for the future leader of communist like Josef
Stalin and Vladimir Lenin. In regard of this, they tend to operate from their own premises in
which capitalism undertake the suitable seeds of their own destruction regarding his ideas which
is formed on the grounds of Marxism and also served on the theoretical base for the communism.
Moreover, Marx also comes from the idea in which entrepreneurial incomes are also possible
due to the value which is being stolen from the labours and also moved to their employers
(Tweedy, 2018). The idea of Marx in his pure form have very few straight supporters in his times
by which Max failed to incorporate the capital markets regarding the values for his analysis
which is the most of his conclusion (Gintova, 2019). Apart from this, Karl Marx believed in the
labour theory of value in order to describe the prominent difference in the price factor of market.
This theory depicts the value of developed economic factor that can be unhurried accurately by
the suitable number of labour-hours which is being required to produce it. In regard of this, Karl
Marx conclude that entrepreneurs were underpaying for their overburdening and also being
exploited by their employers to drive depressed the price of manufacturing.
Patricia Hill Collins
Patricia Hill Collins is an American specialised in academic regarding the race, class and
gender. She is the previous head of the Department of African-American educations at the

college of Cincinnati. Collins at the young age tends to realise the lived of reality and she also
attended her school that leads to catered the white central class scholars who was in the
predominantly black neighbourhood. Moreover, at the time of 1950s and 1960s, when Patricia
was going to the school and most of the school are in the Northern cities like Philadelphia were
the channels for the social flexibility and although they were well sponsored. Away with this, the
books of Collins were published in 1990 which is “Black Feminist Thought” that put huge
impact over the social world by looking at the topic through suitable figures like Angela Davis,
Alice Walker and Audre Lorde. Hence, the suitable analysis is incorporated for the broad range
of sources undertaking the fiction, poetry, music and oral history (Łakuta and Przybyła-Basista,
2017).
It is the first book that tends to integrate the works by the African-American females and
Collin’s also work decided with the central claims including the dominations of race, class,
gender, sexuality and country regarding the intersecting mutual constructing system of power.
Moreover, due to the black women have the unique histories at the intersections of system of
power as they lead to create world views out of the need for self-definition and tends to work
from the side of social justice (Maroun, 2020). For this, the particular experience of black
women tends to intersect the system of oppression which is being provide a window for the same
processes of other persons and social collections. Away with this, Patricia hill Collins tends to
argue regarding the politics of race and gender that leads to impact the knowledge. Furthermore,
the Marxian terms, race and gender which is the suitable part of our social being. Along with
this, while talking about the issue and speciality regarding the black feminist knowledge is the
effective kind of knowledge in the back of science. Moreover, Collins define the three primary
safe spaces for the black women by undertaking the effective relationship with one another.
Hence, these kinds of relationships tend to form and function for the informal relationship like
the friends and family as they lead to occur within more formal and public spaces like black
churches and black women’s organisation.
Critical Analysis:
By comparing the work of both the thinkers, their theoretical perspective leads to argue
the knowledge factor from their social position. Their perspective denies that the research and
theory both need to be ignored and marginalised women and feminist undertake the ways of
thinking. For this, the argument of Marx is that people from the oppressed class have special

access for their knowledge which is not available to those who are from the privileged class. In
regard of this, the feminist writers also inspired by the vision of Marxist that leads to examine the
inequalities among the men and women who influence the production knowledge. Their working
pattern is related with philosophy by which they examine the overall nature and origins of
knowledge undertaking their stress factor which is socially situated.
Meanwhile, Patricia Hill Collins also proposed her standpoint theory in her book which is
Black Feminist Thought by focusing over the perspective of African American women as Collins
argues that the matrix of oppression depict the system of interlocking of gender, race and class
oppression that has given African American women an effective viewpoint from which they
need to understand their marginalised status. They also tend to show that how the African
American women have been oppressed by the economic exploitation of their labour, use of
controlling cultural images that tends to damage stereotypes and also leads to contribute special
things to feminist scholarship that tends to reject knowledge the objectifies people.
From above comparison it is shown that both Karl Marx and Patricia Hill Collins have
focuses on inequality in society and how inequality in society affects person. Karl Marx have
stated that people which belongs to high class have access to knowledge and people which
belongs to privileged class doesn't have access to knowledge. In current scenario Karl Marx
concept still works as in current scenario due to lack of resources privileged class people doesn't
have access to knowledge and people with resources have easy access to knowledge. Resources
includes financial and economic status of an individual and these days education is important to
be effective and high education is only possible when individual have appropriate resources.
In context of Patricia Hill Collins, she stated that there is inequality among male and
female in terms of work and in current scenario it is true as women are not treated at workplace
as men have provided more benefits in comparison to women and women are paid less for same
work for which is done by men and they get to paid more in comparison to women.
Theories:
Functionalism theory: Functionalism means all the characteristics of the society which
are important for the longevity of the society. Functionalists have a greater role in analysing the
importance of education for keeping the maintenance of social order. Functionalism theory sees
society as a whole where all its parts are interrelated with each other. It generally examines how
the society works as a whole and to study the society one should look beyond laws, morals,

values etc. Society is made up of individuals so to study society one should go from individuals
to society. The society is considered to be united where all work with stability.
Conflict theory: This theory states that the resources are scarce in the economy and the
society's needs for such resources are increasing day-by-day which is creating a state of conflict
which creates the problem of inequality within the society as those who are powerful will try
their maximum to obtain those resources and those without any power will not be able to use
such resources and will do anything to obtain them, thus creating conflict. This theory states that
there is struggle between the resources which are available and resources which are not. The
conflict is inevitable in the lives of humans which will directly or indirectly lead to conflict.
CONCLUSION
By considering the above discussion, it is being analysed that social development is
important for the growth and success of nation and overall world as well. As this term depict the
overall world and common symbols which are useful in describing the suitable activities.
Furthermore, the report leads to cover details and their impact over the proper understanding of
community development and societies of two famous thinkers.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chambliss, D.F. and Schutt, R.K., 2018. Making sense of the social world: Methods of
investigation. Sage Publications.
Fox, E., 2018. Perspectives from affective science on understanding the nature of emotion. Brain
and Neuroscience Advances, 2, p.2398212818812628.
Gintova, M., 2019. Understanding government social media users: an analysis of interactions on
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Twitter and Facebook. Government
Information Quarterly, 36(4), p.101388.
Greifeneder, R., Bless, H. and Fiedler, K., 2017. Social cognition: How individuals construct
social reality. Psychology Press.
Łakuta, P. and Przybyła-Basista, H., 2017. Toward a better understanding of social anxiety and
depression in psoriasis patients: The role of determinants, mediators, and
moderators. Journal of psychosomatic research, 94, pp.32-38.
Liberman, Z., Woodward, A.L. and Kinzler, K.D., 2017. The origins of social
categorization. Trends in cognitive sciences, 21(7), pp.556-568.
Maroun, W., 2020. A conceptual model for understanding corporate social responsibility
assurance practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 161(1), pp.187-209.
Nowland, R., Necka, E.A. and Cacioppo, J.T., 2018. Loneliness and social internet use:
pathways to reconnection in a digital world?. Perspectives on Psychological
Science, 13(1), pp.70-87.
Rose, S.K., Diaz, D.B. and Blanford, G.J., 2017. Understanding the social cost of carbon: a
model diagnostic and inter-comparison study. Climate Change Economics, 8(02),
p.1750009.
Tweedy, R. ed., 2018. The political self: Understanding the social context for mental illness.
Routledge.