Sociological Theories and their Relation to Our Everyday Life (Case Study Sample)

Sociological Theories and their Relation to Our Everyday Life
The complexity of our society is based on multiple elements which are intertwined, at every level and aspects of our relations, behaviors, beliefs, ideologies and external influences. To fully understand every aspects of our society, it is important to analyze the theoretical foundations which have been created by various scholars within the field of sociology. Inarguably, the evolutionary and dynamic aspect of societal elements has influenced our modern systems and current formations. New developments within the context of our individual actions and behavior, or general tendencies and attributes of a particular society, have theoretical definitions and understandings; which have been based on analytical observation, research and study of the people. In a modern social context where there are multiple sociological elements which play a huge role in our day-to-day life, it is important to analyze, synthesize and contrast them within the context of existing theoretical frameworks, in order to get an in-depth understanding of multidimensional aspects which impact our lives; positively and negatively. This paper will therefore use the sociological theories of several authors and scholars to understand social elements such as gender, race, self-identity, feminism, sexual-orientation, sexism, concept of family; but not limited to them, in order to have a wider and more comprehensive understanding; and at the same time critique, contrast, correlate and analyze the aforementioned theories.
One of the most volatile, complex and impactful sociological elements; not only in our modern society, but also in the past few centuries, is undoubtedly the race factor. Every aspects of our society, even the political and economic frameworks, have been influenced by race; and the only constancies being time, era, and specific geographical settings. In an era where many people are more enlightened; and liberalism is starting to take roots, it is possible to conclude that the social waters which irrigated the racial plants have dried; however, the truth may be stranger than fiction; in this context, the mere theories which have been formulated by various writers may need a critical analysis to understand and relate, or to dispute and condemn. The complexity of race issues is well entrenched, and its roots stretch wide and deep. To have a more comprehensive understanding of the race factor, it is always important to dig deeper into historical context. Inasmuch as our society has become more progressive than it was in the past years, it still remains undoubted that sociological theories, within the context of race issues, still lingers in our modern lives, and every aspects of the same can be framed on historical factors which played a huge role in shaping our modern lives.
The racial factor cannot be isolated to social context; it is important to understand that society is a multifaceted engine which is also driven by economic, political and societal factors. Racism, as a social problem in our society, has a strong link to economic alienation. It is a widely accepted fact that the reason why racism is more pronounced in one society than another is because of economic alienation arising from it. In our modern life, race can predetermine the course of a person’s economic trajectory in his lifetime; unless other factors come to play, and subsequently break the normal path. As stated by Henry Gates Jr. in his writings, ‘Race’ as a Trope of the World (1986), there is strong correlation between racial and economic alienation. In one of the anecdote which he narrates, we are able to get an historical understanding of the relationship between black and white races within the American social setting. The aspect or race, within the context of his theory, has been posited as a detrimental factor which limits an individual growth, not only in economical point of view, but also social and political frameworks. We are able to deduce that the life of the little girl which he narrates was majorly influenced or rather predetermined by the race which she belonged. Gates goes ahead to highlight the philosophical basis of the race factor, precisely how it impede economic growth or predetermines the life of an individual within the context of the society. As stated by William Bosman in his analogical preview of economic alienation and inequality between blacks and whites, blacks were given to choose between gold and knowledge, but they chose the former; white the whites chose the latter. This brings out a religious aspect to define the racial factor; therefore, enabling an entrenchment of the same. In our modern life, it is valid to state that Gates analogy is still relevant to a larger extent. Collin (1990), in her Matrix of Domination theory, race, class and gender have been designed by the superior social system in order to oppress those who are within the lower bracket of hierarchy. The easiest way is through alienating a particular group to create economic dominance of the superior members of the society. By creating artificial racial alienation which separates people from different racial backgrounds- not just between the blacks and whites, but all other races- economic inequality and disparity becomes more pronounced and manifest.
The growth of feminism as a social phenomenon in the past few years have been a major basis of sociological discourses. As an act and expression of total liberalism, feminism has rejected the normal social systems and structures which defined the roles of men and women; albeit advantaging men at the expense of women. Through a sort of revolutionary endeavor, women, through feminism, have been able to take a central role in determining their position within the context of our society. Many scholars have come up with theories to link the social aspects and the rise of feminism as a new way of expressing liberty and rejection of system which was detrimental to the growth of women. Collins (1990), states that feminism also has racial background which play a critical role in the context of oppression and domination by other social groups. She states that it is difficult for a black woman to fully embrace the notion feminism without inferring to racial elements arising from being a black, a woman and in a society which is dominated by men. Her theory brings out the historical aspects of black women within the American society and how their relationship with both white women and black women has shaped a new form of feminism which holistically embraces the concept of class, race and gender.
Feminism in our modern society is manifested in a complex and dynamic way. It is a sort of fighting domination and oppression which have been defining women within a certain social context for the benefit male members of the society. It is possibly true that feminism is also an expression of liberation whereby women have embraced their womanhood through a more aggressive and bold endeavor. Collins is able to create a link between other social elements such as racism, sexism and classism; and bring out a comprehensive analogy on how each of these aspects has defined the perception and belief on the notion of feminism, within our society. In addition, Audre Lorde (1978), in her writings, The Master’s Tools will Never Dismantle the Master’s House, states that is not good to ignore many contributions made by women who do not fit the context of mainstream culture. For instance, she says that black women in America, those who are in Third world countries, lesbians or even those belonging to more than one of the three categories, have made a significant contribution to development of feminist theory. This is self-evident in our society which has become more complex than before, on basis that definition of womanhood is no longer within a narrow and tradition context. Analyzing this theoretical framework from a critical point of view, one of the most predominant attribute is that the rise of feminism is not only based on the context of gender-pride and womanhood, but also it has incorporated other elements existing within the periphery of the society, such as race, class, political allegiance and even more recently, sexual orientation. Adding to what Lorde stated, feminism in our society should not be an exclusively women affair; in contrary and in my personal belief, feminism is appreciation of womanhood; a creation of liberty and freedom and expression of such; without limitation of traditional definition of a woman. A lesbian should be able to express her feminism without societal impediments. Another major conundrum is the position of transgender women within the context of feminism. Can they subscribe to feminist theory? Or express their ‘womanhood’? Well, such questions; even though they can be linked to the theories of the aforementioned women, still need to be addressed within our society.
Goffman’s theory of Presentation of Self (1956) is fully manifested in this era of social media. Our society has experienced an unprecedented revolution brought by technological advancements. In this context, sharing of photos, videos and many other forms of personal data has become widely spread. As stated by Goffman, people want to be admired or appreciated by others. It is possibly due to satisfaction brought by the same or alleviation of self-doubt which makes people to use social media to over-self-present themselves. Sharing information which may not be the actual depiction of the person can be attributed to unconscious intention to bring out their ideal-self at the expense of their real-self. As stated, the world is a stage whereby every person is a player. In sociological context, it can be argued that individuals are always competing with their inner-self to make sure that what other people are seeing about them is attrac...