Learning Objectives Submitted

1. Apply the sociological perspective to show how society By:

shapes our individual lives. Muhammad
2. States several reasons why a global perspective is important Umar Aslam
in today’s world. (2019-EE-
3. Identify the advantages of sociological thinking for 310)
encouraging personal growth and for advancing in a career.

Social And Ethical

Aspects in Engineering
Assignment 1
Submitted To:
Madam Ayesha Mukhtar

DEPARTMENT
Electrical Engineering
Introduction
University of Engineering and technology, Lahore (New
Campus)
• Sociology is the systematic study of human society.
• Society refers to people who interact in a defined territory and share a culture.
• Every individual is unique, society shapes the lives of people in patterned ways.
• Sociological Perspective is looking for general in the particular.
• Sociologists look for general patterns in the behavior of particular people.
• Sociological perspective shows us that factors such as age, schooling, ethnicity and social class guide
our selection of partner.
C. Wright Mills describes
“the sociological imagination”
 allows sociologists to place personal troubles of individuals within a framework of larger social
issues I.e. divorce
 seeing the general in the particular (Peter Berger, 1963) Possible to identify general patterns in
the behavior of particular people
People are split into different categories men vs. women rich vs. poor The categories to which we
belong shape our experiences

Lillian Rubin (1976) Marriage Study

 Higher income women expect their men to be sensitive to others, to talk readily, and to share
feelings Lower income women look for men who do not drink to much, were not violent,
and held steady jobs.

The Importance of a Global Perspective

Where we live in a high - income country like the united states, a middle – income country such as Costa
Rica or a low – income country such as Mali shapes the lives we lead.

There are 194 total nations in the world and we categorize them into 3 different types.

1. High level income (79)

2. Middle level income(67)
3. Low level income(48)
• Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected.
• New technology allows people around the world to share popular trends.
• Immigration from around the world increases the racial and ethnic diversity of the United States.
• Trade across national boundaries has created a global economy.

Applying the Sociological Perspective

• Making use of sociological perspective leads to personal growth and expanded awareness.
• It helps us assess the truth of common sense.
• It helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives.
• It helps us to live in a diverse world

The Origins of Sociology

Social Change and Sociology
Rapid social change in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries made people more aware of their
surroundings and helped trigger the development of sociology:
• The rise of an industrial economy moved work from homes to factories ,weakening the traditions that
had guided community life for centuries.
• The explosive growth of cities created many social problems such as crime and homelessness.
• Political change based on ideas of individual liberty and individual rights encouraged people to question
the structure of society.
French social thinker Auguste Comte (1798-1857) first came up with the term sociology
 Described a new way of looking at society Wanted to find out how society could be
improved and how society actually operates
Comte:

Saw sociology as the product of a 3-stage historical development

1. Theological- thinking guided by religion

2. Metaphysical- society as a natural, not supernatural system

3. Scientific- used a scientific approach to study sociology

Positivism:

Definition: a way of understanding based on science Society operates according to its laws
(much like the laws of nature)

Sociologists view
• Sociologists are interested in the experience of individuals.
• Those experiences are shaped by interactions with social groups and society as a whole.
• To a sociologist, the personal decisions an individual makes do not exist in a vacuum.
• Cultural patterns and social forces put pressure on people to select one choice over another.
• Sociologists try to identify these general patterns by examining the behavior of large groups of people
living in the same society and experiencing the same societal pressure