Sociology entails the scientific study of various societies and the social behaviour of humans and their interactions. The terms emanates from the word society that entails a group of persons or population that live in the same area under a given governing body (Giddens, 2016). Sociology gives the society a proper understanding on the manner in which the society operates by exploring the application of principles of people and groups that govern the interactions of the society in the fields of communication, structures of the society, decision making, resource distribution and economics.
Sociology brings forth the manner in which society can best function in situations of conflicts over resource sharing, defining priorities and reaching goals agreed upon. The following paper observes how sociology helps people understand the functioning of the society, re-evaluate stereotypes, critique the dynamics of power in the society and globally and how proper understanding of the benefits of society and dynamics of power make relevant changes in the society.
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Sociology in Helping People Understand Better the Functions in Society
The study of sociology gives valuable insights into the shape of the human behaviour influenced by the forces of group interaction of the society. The insight received form studying sociology leads to the better understanding of the manner in which individuals and groups interact at the local, national and global level (Giddens, 2016). The understanding further prepares a person to better handle a wide variety of paths in careers in the fields of human resource, business management, research and assessment as well as any area that requires global awareness and critical thinking as a complimentary asset.
Studying sociology awakens what C. Wright Mills; an American Sociologist calls “social imagination”. The above refers to the ability of becoming aware of paramount relationships that exist between individual experience and the society at large. Social imagination further reflects the heightened awareness of the manner in which actions determine results (Howarth-Williams, 2014). Mills observed that the study of sociology as a way of developing skills and concepts towards exposing and remedying injustice in the society.
Sociology allows people to know each societal aspect as interdependent and contributing to the stability of the society as well as the functioning of the same. For instance, the government offers education for children of a family that in turn pays taxes that ensure the state is running properly (Howarth-Williams, 2014). Therefore, families depend on schools to help nurture their children into having good jobs that can in turn raise and support their individual families. Sociology further allows people to appreciate that the social consensus holds together the society where members of the society concur to work together towards achieving what stands as the best for the society at large.
Re-Evaluation of the Stereotype, And Critique of Power Dynamics in the Society and Globally
Stereotypes in the society come about because of people or individuals rather making conclusions regarding the colour, ethnicity or religions of other persons. For instance, a dark-skinned person is seen or expected to be a violent drug addict that carries weapons. People have grown up to believe these stereotypes. Obama insists that the hardships one receives because of their race pale when compared to those hardships previous generations underwent and overcame (Howarth-Williams, 2014). The statement is a show of how people today are taught to take responsibility for what others think of them. It teaches how people are the ones to make changes in the ways that other people think of them.
According to the survey by the Centre for Disease Control annual Youth Risk Behaviour, the dark-skinned persons are increasingly getting arrested for crimes they have not committed. The article is clear that whites and African Americans reported the same rates of carrying weapons in the year 2001 with the rates standing at 17.9% for the whites and 15.2% for the African Americans (Howarth-Williams, 2014). The African American youths represent 32% of the weapon arrests made in the US getting arrested for weapon offenses at a rate that is twice that of the whites. The above is a clear indication of how persons can easily be criminalized because of how they look to others and the opinions others hold about and against them in the stereotypic realm. Giddens (2016) argues that stereotypes have adverse effects and results because they are usually inadequate and biased serving the singular purpose of segregating a society and denying it the right opportunity to appreciate and cultivate diversity.
Using Sociology to Institute Relevant Change to the Society
According to Howarth-Williams (2014), there is little progress in the US when it comes to matters pertaining to ingratiating with persons from various backgrounds. As a society, the US has failed to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity that presents itself every other time to engage in discussions relating to race, poverty and class as well as do something substantial in regards to the same. The aftermath is a disastrous occurrence that leads to the further split among people because of the stereotypes used against each.
Sociology as a discipline allows people to learn and appreciate the role and purpose of diversity in the society. It only by understands that diversity in culture, ethnicity, background and appearance that the society is beautiful that people can begin appreciating each other and embracing one another (Howarth-Williams, 2014). The result of this understanding that comes from sociology and all that it teaches is an increased effort towards coexistence of the society as a whole.
Sociology allows masses to proceed in learning different cultures because it ensures that people see the beautiful side of these cultural differences as compared to being hostile to them and resenting them in equal measure. Ferdinand Tonnies is his theory on community, emphasizes that the community is a group of individuals that share a particular bond centred on certain traditions, objectives and beliefs (Tönnies, 2001). The theory by Tonnies is particularly interesting and properly associated with the context of sociology because as a theorist, he chooses to consider the community as a people that work effectively and actively to maintain their bond and work towards achieving their goals.
Sociology can be employed to increase awareness of the wrongs that take place in the society with the primary objective to campaigning against them. The only way to fight a wrong is by fighting the wrong and this takes place effectively in the society via various channels like organizations, demonstrations and speaking out against malpractices on people because of stereotypes (Raskoff, 2012). The community becomes a more unified unit when every person or at least the large majority is engaged in actions that seek to better the situations of and for others that are evidently suffering.
Conclusion
Sociology entails the scientific study of various societies and the social behaviour of humans and their interactions. Sociology gives the society a proper understanding on the manner in which the society operates by exploring the application of principles of people and groups that govern the interactions of the society in the fields of communication, structures of the society, decision making, resource distribution and economics.
Sociology brings forth the manner in which society can best function in situations of conflicts over resource sharing, defining priorities and reaching goals agreed upon. The insight received form studying sociology leads to the better understanding of the manner in which individuals and groups interact at the local, national and global level.
References
Giddens, A., Duneier, M., Appelbaum, R. P., & Carr, D. S. (2016). Introduction to sociology: WW Norton.
Howarth-Williams, M. (2014). RD Laing: His Work and Its Relevance for Sociology (RLE Social Theory): Routledge.
Raskoff, S. (2012). Everyday Sociology Blog: Understanding Generalizations and Stereotypes. Everydaysociologyblog.com. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2012/05/understanding-generalizations-and-stereotypes.html
Tönnies, F., & Harris, J. (2001). Community and civil society (Vol. 266): Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
