Module Effect on Sociological Identity - Essay Example

Module Effect on Sociological Identity I define Sociology as a science that deals with issues affecting the lives of human beings, and how these issues help in the generation of proper responses. I also agree with the fact that sociology is a science since it uses methodological study in learning about the human behaviour. The fields of interest of Sociology seem to be manipulated by the emerging trends in the world; these emerging trends include popular trends, fashions and new ideas (Kuhn, 2010). The trends change the viewpoints of the human society towards various events such as rites of passage, kinship links, and society leadership. The study of sociology is critical in to my life as it has enhanced my sociological identity. The study of Sociology helped me to identify the link between Psychology and Sociology. The study of Sociology enabled me to realize that human psychology is very delicate, where a slight experience can cause immeasurable impact on a person’s life. Distortion of family dynamics, personal growth, and group behaviour can occur due to the insensitivity of the human psychology to other people’s feelings. Anthony Giddens, a renowned sociologist, defined sociology as the scientific study of humankind’s social life societies and groups (Comte, 2010). This implies that sociology is a group aspect, and any diversion of a single group member from group norms causes widespread effects on all members. I believe that before the discovery of modern science and sociology, most people thought that spirits and gods were responsible for natural disasters such as earthquakes, thunderstorms, destructive rainfalls, barrenness, and mental illnesses. The discovery of Sociology that deals with family matters, culture, religion, language, and poverty has enabled people to acquire more intelligence and change their viewpoints towards various occurrences of life (Tischler, 2011). It is, therefore, critical for the human society to study sociology and understand its connection to the world occurrences if we are to enhance the quality of our lives. The primary reason for studying sociology is that it has an impact on our daily lives. If the study is taken earnestly, valuable models and lessons to improve our lives will be generated (Heywood, 2007). The science is intended to make the future world a desirable place for the generations to come. Remarkably, I believe that the study of the mortal human behaviour benefits the whole world. The study of Sociology has greatly changed my character trait. Nowadays I have been keen on appreciating and considering other people’s perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs rather than assuming my own perspective is unquestionable and perfect. Taking other people’s ideas for granted is outdated now. My reasoning after studying sociology module has grown largely. I have developed a better understanding of other people in the environment than I did in the past. This intelligence could be useful especially in the working environment where there are different people needing to be treated differently. Employees who have an idea or have learnt sociology in most occasions have a unique form of bond with their bosses (Newberg, 2011). This is because the employees have developed an understanding of other people; hence, collaborations are easy due to minimized conflicts. Production from my point of view is also increased. Certain sociological theories have been formulated to assist in the study with an objective of acquiring a vibrant understanding of the society (Newberg, 2011). The study of sociology has exposed me to various theories that are critical in understanding reasons why people behave the way they do and the approaches of overcoming ramifications arising from such behaviors. The three most well known theories are functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionism. Functionalism focuses on the whole society. Conflict theory focuses on a specific group in the society and the symbol interactional theory deals with personalities within the group (Barkan, 2012). The symbolic interactionism perspective directs sociologists to contemplate the details and symbols of life (Newberg, 2011). George Mead, an American philosopher introduced the perspective of symbolic interactionism in America. The theory traces its origin from the Max Weber's contention. The contention insinuates that people make decisions based on the interpretation of the aspects revolving around their world (Brunner, 2011). People assign different meanings to symbols, evidently shown by their verbal conversations. Spoken words act like predominant symbols, meaning that words require interpretation and intention. A conversation, according to the theory, is an intermingling of symbols between the natural world and the interpreters of the world. Interpreters of the world hold different perspectives from the reality of the world. The subject of sociology has kept me updated on proper ways of seeking the equilibrium between the natural world and the views of world interpreters. A Symbolic interactional theory explores behaviors of the people. The society is characterized by diverse interactions as people perform their duties in their natural settings. I have learned that human beings cannot live in a vacuum; mutual coexistence is vital, as the interactions in the society are necessary for survival. Symbolic interactionism, in my own point of view, disregards the macro level or the big picture in social interpretation. The theory may be left out in recognizing mega issues affecting the society by focusing on the minute matters (Murdock, 2008). My second criticism on the approach is its rather weak swaying capabilities on institutions and social forces. However, the theory is significance in the study of sociology for it helps human beings to understand the true aspects of societal interactions. The second theory is the functionalist perspective, which I believe insinuates that every trait of the society is interdependent. For example, the government offers education to children belonging to families, and the families in return pay taxes that maintain the state. I keenly observe that the family relies on the school to ensure the children are well educated. This is to ensure respectable jobs are acquired by the children after growing up. Later, the children will in return also pay taxes after reaching adult hood and maintain the government (Durkheim, 2011). This theory has enabled me to appreciate the necessity of cost sharing in the society for mutual development, both economically, socially and politically. The functionalist perspective considers consensus to be the pillar of the society. The social consensus is divided into two sections namely, the mechanical solidarity and the organic solidarity; the two were established by Emile Durkheim an eminent sociologist. The approach, however, neglects undesirable actions such as divorce (Jones, 2009). I disagree with its justification of complacency and the status quo in the society. Although the theory seems to discourage active individual involvement in the transformation of the social environment, I have found it applicable in my life as I seek social identity with other people. The last third theory is known as the conflict theory; this theory traces its origins to writings by Karl Marx. This approach, according to me, is rather mind provoking since unlike the rest it concentrates on the negative challenges of society. The theory proves its marvelous intention when it focuses on challenging the status quo and encourages social change. The frequently changing nature of the society is due to the conflicting agendas and values among the imbalanced groups (Comte, 2010). The study of this sociological theory has enabled me to identify and cope with the negative challenges of the society. Sociology also deals also with family matters. A family is a lesser social group of individuals who are either related by affection or by ancestry. They may live in the same residence and have an ongoing emotional bondage. When I observed America, for example, I noticed widespread evolution of the traditional family system (Heywood, 2007). Currently, the existing family constitutes a couple and the kids, but in earlier years, as I learnt in historical books, most generations lived together in a common residential area. Understanding of these changes is critical since it has enabled me to learn the factors causing changes in family structures, and the efforts required to restore the lost extended family unity. People have concentrated on economic productivity and done away with social identities. I think we have to do proper apportionment of our time so that we can cater for both economic gains and social lives. Another astonishing discovery that I made is that extremists such as Hitler, Osama and Bush were able to manipulate the human society after establishing the power of sociology. The extremists discovered the supremacy acquired after gathering the strength of public opinion. They later used it to their advantage thus enabling them to manipulate people into doing whatever they wanted them to do (Kuhn, 2010). Religion is another aspect involved in Sociology. Religion deals with a unified or cohesive systems of practices and beliefs that relate to what is presumed to be sacred in the society (Brunner, 2011). There exist various religions in the world. Each of the religion has its roots in various historical times. The religions have different ways of performing their religious ceremonies. Additionally, different religions hold diverse values, customs, beliefs, and attitudes. The study of sociology has enabled me to avoid disrespecting other religions because they hold different beliefs from mine. These religions in the world today include Buddhism, Hindu and Islam; in fact my knowledge on sociology has helped me appreciate them since I have learnt that they share several aspects. Aspects of life such as relationships, lifestyles, and technology affect an individual’s behavior. Recently, technology has proved to be on top of the list of innovations that has many positive and negative consequences on an individual and the whole society (Jones, 2009). Sociology, nevertheless, has shown a marvelous work in trying to help human beings understand themselves extensively. In my opinion, everyone should be given a chance to study a course in sociology; this will enable them to acquire proper knowledge and skills that can make them understand and develop a desirable social identity for mutual existence. References Barkan, S. 2012. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World. Retrieved from http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/sociology-understanding-and-ch/364125 Brunner, Dr. 2011, The Function and Dysfunction of Religion in our Secular State, retrieved from Comte, A. 2001. Sociology 4th ed. Cambridge: Polity Press. Durkheim, E. 2011. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. New York: The press. Heywood, A. 2007. Politics 3rd ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, R. A. 2009. Durkheim homepage. Retrieved from The Durkheim Pages. Kuhn. T .2010. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Murdock, G. 2008. Social Structure. New York: The MacMillan Company. Newberg, A .2011. Religious Experiences Shrink Part of the Brain, retrieved from Tischler, H. L. 2011. Sociological Research Methods. Retrieved from Read More