Understanding The Work Of Sociology In The Society (Essay Sample)

Sociology
Introduction
Sociology is the scientific study of societies and the human social behaviour or interaction. The term is derived from the word society where by the society is made up of group of people or population living in the same area with the same governing body. This paper discusses how sociology helps us in understanding how our society functions, re- evaluating stereotypes, critique power dynamics in our society and globally as well as how understanding of the society benefits and power dynamics will make relevant changes in the society.
1 How sociology helps us understand better our own society functions
The study of sociology provides valuable insights into how human behaviour is shaped and influenced by the societal forces of group interaction. The insight gained from a study of sociology leads to a greater understanding of how individuals and groups interact at the local, national and worldwide level. This understanding also better prepares an individual for a wide variety of career paths in the areas of human resources, business management, assessment, research and any area in which a global awareness coupled with critical thinking skills is an asset The study of sociology can awaken what the American Sociologist C. Wright Mills called "the social imagination."
This refers to the ability to become aware of the important relationship between individual experience and the wider society. Social imagination also reflects a heightened awareness of how actions determine outcomes. Mills viewed the study of sociology as the means by which the skills and concepts could be developed to both expose and remedy social injustice.
Through sociology we are able to know that each aspect of the society is interdependent and contributes to the society’s stability and the functioning as a whole. For example, the government provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. That is, the family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families.
Through sociology we are able to know that society is held together by social consensus, in which members of the society agree upon and work together to achieve what is the best for the whole society.
2 Re-evaluating stereotypes, and critique power dynamics in our society and globally
Stereotypes in the society occurs when one makes a conclusion concerning one’s colour, ethnic group or religion. For example, if you are dark-skinned you are seen as a drug addict who is violent and carries weapons. We have grown up to believe all these stereotypes. According to Obama “...Whatever hardships you may experience because of your race, they pale in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured - and overcame.” This just shows how we are taught to be responsible for what other people think of us. How we are the ones who should change and not the people who think this way of us?
According to the Centre for Disease Control’s annual Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, dark-skinned people are getting arrested for crimes that they didn’t commit. In the article they state that “... in 2001, Whites and African Americans reported similar rates of carrying a weapon (Whites 17.9%, African Americans 15.2%). African American youth represent 32% of all weapons arrests, and were arrested for weapons offenses at a rate twice that of whites.” This just shows us how we can be criminalized by people just by having them look at us and create opinions about what they think of us. (Schloss, 2016). Stereotypes can have a negative effect because they are often inadequate as well as biased, they often serve as obstacles to rational assessment, and they are resistant to social change.
"Katz argues that the ongoing epidemic of men's violence in America is rooted in our inability as a society to move beyond outmoded ideals of manhood.Katz examines mass shootings, day-to-day gun violence, violence against women, bullying, gay-bashing, and American militarism and provides a stunning look at the violent, sexist, and homophobic messages boys and young men routinely receive from virtually every corner of the culture, from television, movies, video games, and advertising to pornography, the sports culture, and US political culture. He suggests that masculinity has to be made visible so that we may be able to see it in the society. He suggests that men must have courage to work with women and speak out. In view of that also, he suggests that girls and women must show they value men who reject the tough guise and the people must work to break the media controlled by the rich ("Summary of the video "Tough Guise"", 2016).
News, movies and the Internet show many negative aspects of certain characteristics from specific ethnicities in order to relate more to the audience due to their recognizable behaviour. Cultural aspects, accent or skin colour may be the first clues to identify the origins and background of that character. Stereotyped behaviour builds up the definition of an ethnicity in the mind of the audience. This hinders the audience from searching for deeper human meaning, encouraging them to overlook meaningful attributes in their characters and every individual considered to represent that ethnicity ("SPECIAL: Stereotypes in society", 2016).
Critique, power dynamics in our society and globally
Power is the ability to influence or outright control the behaviour of people. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to humans as social beings. power as a means to make social actions possible as much as it may constrain or prevent them. The philosopher Michel Foucault saw power as a structural expression of "a complex strategic situation in a given social setting" that requires both constraint and enablement. Power, or social power can be viewed in several ways. It being called power dynamics indicates that the notion of power is not simple, but has complexities. Traditionally, people view power as money resources.
However, sociologist have pointed out that power can come from one or combinations of prestige, class, and status, or three types of variables that play in to power. The power dynamics, which form the basis for the construction of our modern world, can be divided into three categories; physical, social and intellectual; the structure dictates, however that physical/social power remain superior to intellectual authority.
3 Changes that occur in the society after learning the ...