FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Assignment No 1

Name ELESTINA SHAMUDZARIRA

Programme BACHELOR OF EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

AND DEVELOPMENT

Module title & Code SOCIOLOGY OOF EDUCATION BEG 2103-2018

Module Tutor/Lecturer

Due Date AUGUST 2018

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 Sociology is a subject in itself and it relates to the study of society. The norms, culture and
values that build up society and how different people affect society. The study of different
type of families, marriages, globalization nature vs nurture debate, deviant behaviour and
social control are all examples of sociological research/context. Sociologists study society
trends and what harms it, what benefits it. There are different views that are found such as the
functionalist view, New Right View and the Marxist view.
Sociological problems are conditions or situations that at least one group in a society feel are
wrong. While people agree on certain situations being problematic for society, many are
objective. Examples of such social issues include:
 Environmental decline
 Workplace discrimination: - the belief or attitude that one gender or sex is inferior
to, less competent, or less valuable than the other.
 Corporate corruption: - refers to crimes committed either by a corporation (i.e., a
business entity having a separate legal personality from the natural persons that manage its
activities), or by individuals acting on behalf of a corporation or other business entity.
Some negative behaviours by corporations may not actually be criminal; laws vary
between jurisdictions. For example, some jurisdictions allow insider trading.
 Poverty, unemployment and homelessness: -Because of the broad spectrum of
social circumstances that are studied, unemployment is an issue in which sociologists
thrive. Conflict in the areas of age, race, gender, and disability is common among the
employed as well as the unemployed.  From a sociological perspective, unemployment can
be studied through both the Functionalist Theory and Conflict Theory.
 Health care and aging: - health sociology examines the interaction between society
and health. Ageing can be sociologically defined as the combination of biological,
psychological and social processes that affect people, as they grow older. Gerontology is
studying the aging and the elderly in the population.
 The decline of religion: - Christianity, for example emphasises that marriage is a sacred
union for life before God, and that sex should only take place within marriage. With the
decline of religion, social values have shifted so that it is now acceptable to have sex
before marriage, and with more than one partner, meaning that dating, serial monogamy
and cohabitation have all replaced marriage to a large extent. The decline of religion also
reflects the fact that marriage today is not about ‘pleasing society’, it is simply about
pleasing the two individuals within the relationship, the ‘pure relationship’ is now the
norm, and people no longer feel like they need God’s approval of their relationship, so
there is less social pressure to get married.

In order for a social issue to be classed as such, it must meet certain criteria:
 There must be some public outcry identifying it as a social issue. People must actively
discuss the condition, which then attracts attention from the public.
 The issue must run contrary to society's ideals. For example, of society determines
that it is not ideal to commit adultery and a lot of people are, it fulfils these criteria.
 A significant portion of the population must define it as a social issue. If only a small
number of people are speaking out against it, then it is not a social issue.
 There must be a way for society to correct the condition. If there is no way of
changing what is happening, it is not a social issue.

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