Analyzing Society: Understanding the Social World Essay

This essay delves into the complexities of understanding the social world. It begins by differentiating between qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, highlighting their distinct approaches to gathering and analyzing information about society, emphasizing concepts like alienation, mechanical and organic solidarity, and their impact on social cohesion. The essay then transitions to examining the role and impact of media in contemporary society, discussing how mass media and social media platforms influence public opinion, disseminate information, and shape cultural perceptions. It explores both the positive aspects of media, such as its role in education and information dissemination, and its negative impacts, including the potential for manipulation and the spread of misinformation. The essay concludes by emphasizing the significant influence of media in shaping modern societies. This assignment is available on Desklib, a platform offering AI-powered study tools and resources, including past papers and solutions.

Making sense of society understanding
the social world

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Section 1......................................................................................................................................1
Section 2......................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

MAIN BODY
Section 1
Qualitative and quantitative research
The key methodologies which are linked with the qualitative and quantitative research
tends to be quite different. Qualitative research does not discover any generalized set of
information. I mainly focuses on gaining in – depth set of knowledge associated with the social
world. They are likely to be more interested to identify key particular features associated with the
consciousness, culture, as well as behaviour. Qualitative research tends to usually involve studies of
the single individuals which is usually based on the key interviews as well as the observations. This
is mainly with the key goal to identify internal behavioural as well as the psychological
characteristics to develop the key understanding associated with the social world (Quantitative and
qualitative social science, 2014). Qualitative research is relevant to gain descriptive set of
knowledge and is useful in attaining the key descriptive data related to the social world.
Quantitative research tends to mainly allow the investigator of the study to effectively
discover the key patterns, correlations, associations and other relevant features of the population
which is mainly based on carrying out the analysis of the large number of measurements of
associated with the social world context. Quantitative research is mainly directed to identify the
population patterns, characteristics, as well as the associations. Moreover, the quantitative research is
linked to examine the key features of the social world which mainly includes income, health,
employment, wealth, education. The quantitative set of research is considered to be crucial because it
helps in evaluating the numerical data and attain significant results using various mathematical as
well as the statistical tools.
Alienation: It is a word or terms that means separation of individuals from activities of society
or disengagement of people from social process. It is mostly occur in case people are unable to
relate their lifestyles or themselves with society or world where they live and stay. This has been
brought by Karl Marx that have been used specially in sense of worker that are being alienated
from capitalist society. Thus, it is not false consciousness or products of minds rather it is based
on ground of social relations. In context of materialist concept, people that does not feel affinity
or attached with their work are not alienated as they cannot cope up. In philosophical term, it is
stated as estrangement of people from themselves which means people being alienated from his
or her own labor. As per Marx there are two things which are essential for human activity that is
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productive labor and creativity (Yuill, 2018). Labor that are selling their hard work or labor to
capitalist in return to get wages are involved in capitalism thus it can be said that capitalist own
the work of labors. Therefore, under this, alienated is in four different ways such as in first, labor
does not have control over its fate neither have right on its product labor. Secondly, it is said that
work of manufacturing is done in alien and in third, worker are alienated from themselves as
they have produce products for others. At last four, state that they are alienated from other
workers as they have become commodity (Alienation, 2019).
Mechanical and organic solidarity: Emile Durkheim have formulated two types of social
solidarity named as mechanical and organic solidarity that can be distinguished in terms of
demographical features or morphological.is social integration of group of individuals that have
similar or common beliefs, values or though. Thus, because of their same thinking level or values
they are motivated to work together as a team rather than individuals members. So, it internally
motivates several individuals to coordinate and cooperate with each other’s which is known as
“collective conscience”. In another words it can be stated that in mechanical solidarity, number
of people feel connected with each other’s because of similar education, work religious and
lifestyles. Therefore, traditional and small scale societies are part of mechanical solidarity as
people have common thinking and religion. On the other hand, organic solidarity is present in
modern society, where people are connected to each other’s due to their specialization in specific
work (Mechanical and organic solidarity, 2019). It is also termed as social cohesion, there is
greater division of labor, individuals are working interdependently and there are no set of
uniform rules and regulation that need to be abide by everyone. Such people have different
value, beliefs and interest level so it is usually maintained in more complex society like farmers
that manufacture foods are offered to workers to eat at the same time these work manufacture
tractors that allows they to produce food. So, they are highly interdependent with each other’s
and have different task, activities or professions.
Health and well-being
Health and wellbeing is one of the key significant state associated with the social, physical
and mental wellbeing. Health and wellbeing is considered to be of key relevant importance
because it helps the individual to successfully overcome any sort of difficulties in order to attain
outlook as well as the key attitude linked with the research. It helps in living the life with high
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degree of quality and leads to improved set of care results and outcomes. Past experiences,
outlook and the attitudes can also impact the health and wellbeing of the person. This is
associated with the physical and emotional trauma associated with specific incidents. However,
health and wellbeing is considered to be highly phenomenal to understand social world.
Moreover, a positive degree of social influence is considered to be phenomenal because it is
relevant in improving the social relationship within the social context. This is mainly linked with
the protective set of health effects which leads to cognitive, behavioural, and emotional as well
as the biological influence. This helps the person living with utmost grace and relevant by
maintaining a peace of mind within the social world. The health and wellbeing is largely
dependent on the emotional, social, cultural as well as the physical well- being of the individuals
and the communities. This eventually leads to improved efficiency and performance in the social
world context.
Section 2
Discuss the role and impact of media in contemporary society.
Contemporary society is mean wheeling with the idea of modern times or modern world.
Mass media is considered to be as a way of communication whether it is broadcasting, written or
spoken. Which is one of the most effective way which helps in reaching large number of
audience across the globe (Mihailidis, and Viotty, 2017). Mass media communication can be
done with the help of radio, television, advertising, internet, newspaper, movies and magazines.
Mass media is one of the key significant force within the contemporary society. Social media
tend to refer mass media as mediated culture where the media tends to reflect on creating a
specific culture within the contemporary society. Media is considered to be as a reflection of a
society and depicts how society works. It is useful in educating the public and making people
affair regarding the current happenings across the globe. The media in turn has become a voice
of a society in today’s world. There are large number of media platforms which in turn has
stimulated the viewpoints communities and young generation within the contemporary society in
a more eloquent manner.
Media and society are closely associated with each other. The impact of the media upon
the contemporary world is considered to be significant. Media reflects the society and what it
constitutes and how it works (Walzer, and Sanjurjo, 2016). These days social media has become
one of the key significant and one of the most exist media of communication and present days.
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Social media tends to bring varied set of people from wide geographical area on one platform in
order to share specific set of information, ideas, emotions and feelings. Facebook, WhatsApp,
Facebook, Instagram, Google plus and Twitter are considered to be the key prominent sources
which is useful in sharing relevant set of information within the contemporary world.
Media tends to play one of the key prominent role in social life. Mass media is useful in
facilitating spreading of the relevant information and also increases the speed through which
specific message can be spread (Brinton, (2015). Media helps in continuous spread of the
information across the globe in order to keep the public updated related to what is going on
across the globe. The media tends largely influence the decision and is also useful in
coordinating the business activities. Media is considered to be one of the useful source which
helps in directing public opinion, motivational interest within the society.
Impact of mass media within the contemporary society tends to have both positive as well
as the negative effect. Society is largely dependent upon the mass media in order to gain the
relevant set of information. Mass media is considered to be as a source of entertainment function
where it offers one of the most accessible as well as the cheapest means of entertainment when
compared to other shows and concerts. It helps in providing huge set of information to the people
from one corner to another. It helps in providing large set of information regarding what is going
on across the globe and keep people updated (Scharrer and Ramasubramanian, 2015). The power
of the media has become powerful within the contemporary society as it is considered to be
undoubtedly one of the most crucial role in the world today. Media is considered to be one of the
strongest source as even politics within the contemporary society use this as a mean to govern in
the country across the globe. Media is a key significant source which helps in conveying wide
degree of knowledge associated with key aspects of human being lives, which are influencing
people‘s point of view, attitude within the contemporary society. One of the key prominent role
which has been played by the media within the contemporary society is that it helps in shaping
and creating the public opinion. It is also considered to be significant in order to strengthen the
contemporary society. It act as a watchdog in order to protect the interest of the public against
any malpractices. It is also useful in creating public awareness (Crowley and Heyer, 2015).
Media is considered to be as the backbone of democracy. The key role of the media
within the contemporary society is to criticise, and form and also stimulate debate on the specific
subject. The media attention take responsibility for getting all the facts right in a prominent
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manner. Set a positive effect on the contemporary society because it is useful and stay in touch
with the people in providing them with relevant set of information.
There seems to be wide set of negative impact of media within the society. However, mass
media tends to have a negative effect because it leads to manipulation of the public opinion with
the use of media as a key source of propaganda. Media also tends to damage the reputation of
the people with the specific community. Distance usually happened within the politics. Media
tends to act as a propaganda and aims to shape specific attitude and also impose social
stereotypes. Moreover media also manipulate and control the behaviour of the individuals as well
as the society (Leavitt, Covarrubias, Perez, and Fryberg, 2015). Presenting intolerance and
violence and also manipulating public is considered to be one of the key negative role which has
been played by the media within the contemporary society.
Hence, Mass media is one of the key significant force within the contemporary society.
Media is considered to be as a voice of society. It is relevant in communicating information and
make people aware about what is going on across the globe. The power of the media has become
powerful within the contemporary society. There seems to be wide set of negative impact of
media within the society.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brinton, J. G. (2015). Preaching Islamic Renewal: Religious authority and media in
contemporary Egypt. University of California Press.
Crowley, D., & Heyer, P. (2015). Communication in history: Technology, culture, society.
Routledge.
Leavitt, P. A., Covarrubias, R., Perez, Y. A., & Fryberg, S. A. (2015). “Frozen in time”: The
impact of Native American media representations on identity and self‐understanding. Journal of
Social Issues, 71(1), 39-53.
Mihailidis, P., & Viotty, S. (2017). Spreadable spectacle in digital culture: Civic expression, fake
news, and the role of media literacies in “post-fact” society. American behavioral
scientist, 61(4), 441-454.
Scharrer, E., & Ramasubramanian, S. (2015). Intervening in the media's influence on stereotypes
of race and ethnicity: The role of media literacy education. Journal of Social Issues, 71(1), 171-
185.
Walzer, A., & Sanjurjo, P. (2016). Media and contemporary tattoo. Communication &
Society, 29(1).
Yuill, C., 2018. Social workers and alienation: the compassionate self and the disappointed
juggler. Critical and Radical Social Work, 6(3). pp.275-289.
Online
Quantitative and qualitative social science. 2014. [ONLINE]. Available through<
https://understandingsociety.blogspot.com/2014/04/quantitative-and-qualitative-
social.html#:~:text=Quantitative%20and%20qualitative%20social%20science,-The%20social
%20world&text=Quantitative%20research%20allows%20the%20researcher,numbers%20of
%20measurements%20of%20individuals. >
Alienation, 2019, [Online]. Available Through: < https://www.britannica.com/topic/alienation-
society >.
Mechanical and organic solidarity, 2019, [Online]. Available Through:<
https://www.britannica.com/topic/mechanical-and-organic-
solidarity#:~:text=Mechanical%20solidarity%20is%20the%20social,have
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%20common%20values%20and%20beliefs.&text=In%20contrast%20to
%20mechanical%20solidarity,individuals%20for%20one%20another's%20services. >.
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