CHAPTER 1

Introduction
The study of sociology starts from the basic premise that human life is social life
(Rebach and Bruhn 2001, 5). Most of us are constantly involved in interactions
with other human beings. From the families we are born into, through school,
work, and play; retirements; and even the gatherings that memorialize our
deaths, we spend our lives within a tapestry woven of interlocking social
arrangements. Sociology focuses on these arrangements, including how they are
created, how they change, and how they impact our lives, opportunities, and options (Rebach and Bruhn 2001, 5).
The word sociology itself actually derives from the Latin word socius
(companion) and the Greek word logos (study of ). Thus, sociology is most literally the study of companionship (Abercrombie, Hill, and Turner 2000, 333). A
textbook definition often expands that literal definition of sociology to read
something close to the scientific study of the development, structure, interaction,
and collective behavior of social relationships. But so what? What does that definition actually mean? Why is sociology important? Why should anyone study
sociology? What does sociology offer to us in our personal lives? And what does
it offer to wider society?
This book answers those basic questions. It introduces core concepts in
sociology and illustrates how the field is dynamic and relevant. Throughout, it
explains how those who engage in the study of sociology understand the relationships and interactions that make up our social worlds, worlds that include
everything that constitutes the collective life of groups of people . . . their economics, their politics, their shared mental lives, their cultures, and more
(Lemert 2001, 56).
The study of sociology encompasses the diversity of these social worlds,
ranging from intimate, one-to-one exchanges to impersonal gatherings of large