What is Sociology?

What do sociologists aim to do? What is it? The study of society. Sociologists are curious about the world and how it functions. What do sociologists aim to do? To understand the interaction between individuals and groups To understand the role of institutions such as the family, peers, education, religion, mass media, the workplace, the law and the government, and how they may shape the behaviour and attitudes of individuals.

C. Wright Mills and the ‘sociological imagination’ Mills believes that studying sociology allows you to stop simply living in your own world, but to take your personal issues and connect them to wider public concerns. Your personal issue – low income + The wider public concern – high unemployment So, when you start to see the relationship between your situation and the society you live in, you are developing your sociological imagination may be on a low income or on benefits – you think about how that makes you feel, and what you can and cannot do in your situation, but linking that to the wider society allows you to recognise that there may be high unemployment in the country, or the recession and that your personal situation is linked to a bigger problem.

Terminology Sociology has its own language which will fit together to create: Key concepts Wider concepts Studies Theories Methods Contemporary examples Key Concepts – Specific words relating to the actual topic – e.g. Canalisation is the process of giving boys and girls gender specific toys through the family Wider Concepts – Words that apply throughout the whole of sociology Studies – the name of the individual, group or business that carried out the research (Oakley = Canalisation) Theories – many of those who study society empirically or otherwise believe in a particular theory about society (Oakley is a feminist) Methods – how research was carried out – and presented – e.g questionnaires (with yes or no answers can be added up to produce quantitative data. Interviews are based on talking, so cannot produce numbers, and instead produce qualitative data. Contemporary examples – using examples from the world around you to support the point you are making. For example, if we are talking about gang culture, we may support our point by referring to Liam in Eastenders. Every exam and essay is going to need you to refer to all the above.

Success To succeed in sociology you will need to learn and understand the language associated with the subject. The way you apply the language/terminology will be rewarded. For example ‘The family teaches you how to behave’ would count as none sociological. But, ‘The family socialises children into certain behaviour by teaching them the correct norms and values’ would count as sociological. They are saying the same thing, but the use of sociological language shows the examiner that you know the correct terminology/lanuage to explain the process of how we learn things.